


Jewel of the Sea

by Deviant_Donghun



Series: Legends of Lgona [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: ADHD!Virgil, Ace!Virgil, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Little Mermaid AU, M/M, adhd person writes adhd character, demiro!Logan, mermaid!virgil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 34,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deviant_Donghun/pseuds/Deviant_Donghun
Summary: An Analogical Little Mermaid Au. Virgil is a mermaid, desperate to survive. When he winds up with legs and bumps into Logan in the woods, Logan takes him in. He promises to help him with his 'amnesia'. During the course of the story, they fall in love and realize that sometimes you might not need to know everything about someones past to love them for who they are.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Series: Legends of Lgona [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032819
Comments: 120
Kudos: 124





	1. Character Sheets

Logan Ackroyd

Third in line for the human throne. His hobbies include such things as painting, reading, and stargazing. He is of average height and prefers to wear contacts instead of glasses. He is 25 years of age at the start of the story. His favorite outfit consists of a leather jacket, a polo with a tie, and jeans.

Thomas Ackroyd

He is the crown prince and first in line for the human throne. His hobbies include playing chess and watching cartoons. He is on the shorter side but still within average height for a human male. He is 28 at the start of the story. His favorite outfit is mainly t-shirts and jeans.

Roman Knight Ackroyd

Second in line for the throne, he is Thomas’ adopted son. His biological father is actually Thomas and Logan’s deceased cousin, Emile Knight. Roman’s hobbies include reading, playing with Legos, and acting. He is a rambunctious 10 year old. His favorite outfit is one made for his school play that looks similar to the one Prince Charming wears.

Virgil Strand (Storm)

He is fourth in line for the mer throne. His hobbies include reading, doing physical labor, and making jewelry (as every mer can do). He is above average height for a mer, making him even taller for a human. He is 23 at the start of the story. When he gets to the human world, his favorite outfit consists of purple plaid and beanies.

Secondary characters do not currently have character sheets. However, they include such lovely people as: Remus, a pirate who captures Virgil early in the story; Patton, Logan’s manservant; Orville, the third brother who is studying abroad (he’s the theorized orange side because I needed another character); Elliot, Virgil’s older sibling and third in line for the mer throne; and Remy and Janus. Remy and Janus will work together to fill the role of Disney’s Ursula but Remy acts closer to the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella.


	2. The Surface

Virgil surfaced, water streaming off his form as he looked up at the cliff face before him. There was a figure up on that cliff, as there had been for as long as he could remember. Sometimes Virgil would arrive before they would. Sometimes, like today, the figure arrived before he could. Always, he stayed as long as they did, floating on his back and watching them. He wasn’t even sure if they could see him where he was positioned at the base of the cliff as opposed to farther out to sea. 

The figure always used one of two items. One was a stand with a white rectangle on it that they put colors on. That always involved staring out to sea for long periods of time before picking a color. Sometimes, they would hold a tube up to the sky or horizon. Virgil was fascinated by the actions they went through when doing this. He wanted to know what they were doing. Were they checking the contents of the tube? Were they comparing the color? 

The other object was no less curious. This one required Virgil to stay closer to the side of the cliff as they held a different kind of tube up to their eye, looking out into the night. They never did this one during the day and sometimes they did both in one day. Virgil always checked at both times to be safe. He was by far more interested in the night activities simply because he didn’t understand them. He could make out that the stand and rectangle managed to create a likeness of the sea or sky or woods behind them but had no idea what the tube did. He was insanely curious, Elliot always said he’d get himself into trouble someday because of it.

It seemed today was the day he’d get in trouble. He saw the clouds roll in before the figure on the cliff did. Today, they were capturing the picture of the woods on the land side of the cliff so didn’t see the clouds roll in until it was too late. Apparently, they were never taught about cold fronts or how quickly storms could form over water. The sky turned a grey most would find angry but Virgil always found calming as he slipped below the surface to watch it. He kept an eye on the human and remembered his lessons to observe and only act when needed.

So, when lightning struck the stand and the human backed up, Virgil took action. He called to the water in a voice that didn’t reach the top of the cliff, asking it to raise him to the top. The water could only work so fast, however, so by the time he managed to get up there, the human had stepped too far back and fallen off the cliff. Virgil caught them -  _ him _ but he had already knocked his head against the wall. Virgil asked the water to put them down and it did. He slid the human onto his back and, holding onto his wrists, swam over to the nearby beach. He set the unconscious human down and first called to the water in his lungs, telling it how much better it was outside the human.

The water came spilling out his mouth, running back down to the sea as if happy to be reunited with its kind. Next, he turned his attention to the wound on the head. This required a bit more delicacy, a bit more tact. So, he sang to the wound. He asked the water in the blood and cells to tell the other components to knit back together, to heal. They did just that, sealing the wound, the blood already out of it running to join the ocean. The rest of the wound closed off, not even leaving a scar. It now looked like the human was just sleeping, rather than unconscious.

Virgil should have retreated back into the water. He should have washed the sand from his scales and gone home. He should have done a million things. He didn’t do any of them. The one thing he did do was sit there and look at the human. He’d never been this close to one and they fascinated him. The human had dark hair the color of the night sky. His skin was tan, like a mer who spent too much time above the water. His eyes fluttered open and Virgil was met with the most brilliant blue he’d ever seen.

Virgil almost pulled back at that but the human settled back down as the blue was quickly obscured by the eyelids as they fluttered closed. They didn’t open for a while after that. He curled toward Virgil, not looking like he was at all conscious of what he was doing and acting purely on instinct. Virgil sighed and allowed the human to hold his hand while he sat there. He busied himself with singing the rain away from them, creating a waterfall-like curtain around them due to the torrential rain coming down. Even as he did so, his eyes kept being drawn back to the human. He wished those eyes would open again, wished he was allowed to talk to this person he’d been watching for the past two years or so. Virgil wanted to know what his life was like. Where did he go when he left? Did he have a family he went back to? He had so many questions on the tip of his tongue that he knew he was never going to have a chance to ask.

✴ ✴ ✴

Logan faded in and out of consciousness, not exactly knowing what was going on. He knew lightning had struck his easel and he’d backed away from it but didn’t remember what happened after that. He heard singing and the faint sounds of water running but couldn’t open his eyes enough to care. Instead, he curled more around the source of warmth next to him, vaguely away it was a hand he was holding. He was never conscious enough to question what he was doing, where he was, or who was next to him. He didn’t even know  _ how _ he knew this, but he knew he was safe with this person. That was all that mattered as he drifted on the dry sand, lost in the sea of his own mind. 


	3. Pirates

Virgil heard the search party before he saw them. The storm had calmed down and his scales had been dried out but he’d still sat there with the human. He saw the lights from the other humans getting closer. Once they were within a dangerous distance, Virgil had to pry his hand out of the human’s and drag himself down to the water. 

When he got back into the ocean, his tail felt instantly better and he was able to twirl, washing all the sand off while getting his fins as wet as possible. He popped back up behind a rock, somewhere he could watch and make sure the human got saved before he went on his way.

“Logan! There you are!” A shout was heard from the search party as someone finally reached the unconscious human-  _ Logan _ . Logan stirred but didn’t react. The person shook him as another came up behind him.

“Patton, is he alright?”

“Yes, he seems to be fine. He’s not awake but he doesn’t seem to be injured either.”

Virgil sighed in relief as they picked Logan up on fabric stretched between two poles and carried him away. Virgil sank into the water, needing a good swim and to scrape some barnacles to relieve the stress of the past few hours.

The next few days passed in relative quiet. He knew the human would still be recovering so didn’t bother to visit the cliff for about a week or so. When he grew curious as to how Logan was doing, he visited the cliff. He hoped Logan would be there, hoped he would have a new stand and be back at it. Hoped he would be watching the clouds roll by and just enjoying the day. Virgil would soon learn how naive he was to think that.

The cliff and its surrounding area wasn’t exactly as he remembered it. The cliff was still there, as was the beach he’d sat on for hours. However, the most significant change was a ship had arrived. Virgil didn’t recognize the flag it was flying but that didn’t stop him from getting close to it. He should have been paying more attention but he was so fascinated by the novelty of a new thing that he didn’t notice the net until he was caught in it.

He struggled, but that only served to get him even more tangled as he tried to figure out what was going on. His fight or flight response kicked in and he tried flight but when his fins were so tangled the net was cutting off blood flow, he wished he were back on the beach with dry scales. 

His fight kicked in but before he could call to the water, the net was lifted by a machine and he was left dangling in the air. His scales scraped against the rope, leaving his skin with nasty red marks that were sure to scar in one way or another. He hissed at the people standing on the ship he was dangling over. “What do you want with me?!” He yelled, his fins flaring in anger.

They laughed. “Hey, Remus, get a look at the latest catch!”

A man came out of the room at the back of the ship, the door slamming against the wall. Virgil had heard tales of Captain Hook but he was always told he had a red coat. This man looked just like the legends and horror stories but he was dressed in green. He smacked the nearest man in the head with the hook that replaced his left hand. “What have I said about using my real name?!”

The man rubbed the back of his head, sulking. “Not to, Cap’n.”

Remus nodded. “Good. Now, what do we have here?”

“A male mer, seems to be in good health.”

Virgil spit. “Let me go and maybe you’ll survive until sundown.”

Remus just laughed. “Awwww, look at the little fishy.”

Virgil ignored him, continuing to hurl insults and threats like spears in the hopes it would do something. It didn’t. Instead, he was lowered into a container of water and left there as the crew went about their day. Virgil reached for the top of the tank, trying to at least flop onto the floor and maybe crawl to the edge of the boat but the side of the tank was made in such a way that he kept slipping off it. As it was, the water only filled the lower half of the tank, his tail having contact with the bottom at all times. There was a ledge in the tank but it was submerged in the water to the point that it was only slightly better than if there were no ledge at all.

This didn’t stop him from keeping up his threats and taunts, hoping someone would get annoyed enough to throw him overboard. No one ever did. Instead, they spoke of him as if he weren’t three tail lengths away, as if he weren’t a living being who understood every word they said.

“How much do you think we’ll get for him?”

Remus shrugged. “I’d like to get at least thirty for him.”

“Only thirty bucks?” One man said, as if it were the least amount of money in the world. 

Remus smacked him over the head.”No, you dolt. Thirty grand. Thirty  _ thousand _ . Not a measly thirty  _ dollars _ . Do I look like an idiot to you?”

The man shook his head, his expression cowed. “No, Captain, not at all.”

Remus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Go do something productive.”

The man nodded and wandered off. Remus turned to look at the tank Virgil was in, a smile on his face and hands on his hips. “Now, what should we do with the merchandise in the meantime?”

“Throw me back. I’m all skin and bones, no meat to eat. I won’t work for you and you can’t keep me as a pet. The only thing you  _ can _ do is put me back where I belong.” He bared his teeth and hissed again.

Remus laughed. “A feisty one! I just might keep him for myself. For now, cover him with a tarp and let’s hope he goes to sleep.“

Virgil did not, in fact, go to sleep. Instead, he got louder and more annoying. When he had the time to finally examine himself, he noticed many deep cuts on his tail and torso, most likely from the harsh net cutting into him. The stale water did nothing for him, unable to heal him but not bothering to hurt him. He eventually settled down for the night and got some sleep, but it was fitful and not at all restful. 


	4. Fairy-god Bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Remy!!

He lost track of time. He spent what he thought were nights on the ledge, sleeping like it was a very uncomfortable bed. It let him relax and kept him from having to float every time he wanted to rest but it was still not ideal as it did horrendous things to his spine and the way he slept. The time periods he assumed were days were spent singing as loudly as possible, usually mer drinking songs, and talking about anything and everything under the sun. They might have captured him, but he was not going to be docile in the slightest. 

One pirate threatened to gag him but Remus stopped him when Virgil spit out some lie about gags being known to kill mers. Still, it was hard to keep track of time with the pitch black tarp covering him all the time. He knew he could try to ask the water to lift him out of the tank but it was impolite to ask so many favors in such a short time. He needed a few days for the water to get on his side again, especially the angry, stale water that was in the tank. He wasn’t sure when it had last had contact with the rest of its kind but it must have been a while before he showed up.

One period he’d deemed as night, someone slipped part of the tarp aside, leaving a silhouette in its place. Virgil sat up, swallowing the cheer that rose in his throat at the sight of the moon. Based on its size, he’d been there for almost a week, meaning he could ask the water to let him out whenever he wanted. Looking at the person standing in the moonlight, Virgil tilted his head. “Have you come to help me?”

They took a sip from a drink in their hand. “That depends, babe. Are you willing to help me in return?”

Virgil frowned, his guard going up. “What do you need help with?”

“I need something from the nearby town. Thanks to being banned, I can’t get it myself.”

Virgil held up his tail. “And you think I can, why?”

The figure nodded, reaching a hand up to adjust something on their face. From their voice, Virgil would guess they were male but he didn’t want to assume. “That’s where me helping you comes in. I give you legs, you give me my thing. Deal?”

“I don’t even know you, nor do I know the thing you want. How do I even know you’ll give me back my tail once you get your . . .  _ thing _ ?” Virgil ducked his head under the water, wetting his hair and skin. He liked to feel the water on him, it helped him feel closer to it.

The figure laughed, throwing their head back. “Of course! My name is Remy. The object I’m looking for is a polished calcite crystal. It is pink in color and glows under certain lighting that I’m sure you’ve never heard of. Now, you know who I am and what I want. Will you help me, mer?”

Virgil knew this might be his only chance to get out and actually get away from the ship. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to get it for you. I mean, I’m stuck in this tank and I don’t know where the town even is. To add on, you don’t even know me. How do you know I won’t just escape with legs and live like a human, not even bothering to try to find your rock?”

Remy nodded. “Thank you for pointing out the obvious loopholes, babe. With that in mind, I’ll make it so you get your fins back from midnight to seven in the morning until you bring me what I want. That should be just enough time to remind you which form you would prefer to spend your life in. It should also be enough to inconvenience you in a major enough way to keep you annoyed but not enough to let anyone else see why you are annoyed. Will that satisfy?”

Virgil scowled. “That doesn’t help my tank problem.”

“What do you want me to do, create a hole in it for you to slip out of?”

Virgil perked up. “I mean, that would be helpful.”

Remy sighed, waving the hand not holding their drink. Part of the tank seemed to melt like ice under the sun, leaving a hole near Virgil’s ledge that he could easily use to escape at the right time. He guessed the water would get to keep its favor for a while. Remy snaps their fingers, bringing Virgil’s attention back to them. “Oh! To sweeten the deal on my end, the spell to give you legs can only be broken with true love’s kiss.”

Virgil crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Really? True love’s kiss?”

“I know, I know, totally not original. Come on, babe, it’s all I have to work with on such short notice.”

Virgil heaved a sigh, feeling his lungs fill with the cold night air. “Fine. I accept all conditions.”

Remy smiled, nodding. They waved their unoccupied hand again and Virgil felt something settle over him, like pollen during spring. It felt sticky and he ducked his head under the water again to get the feeling off but it didn’t go away. Remy dug in the bag Virgil just now noticed they were wearing, pulling out a scrap of paper. “I’ll give you this so you can remember what I want. It has more specifics than what I told you so don’t lose it or you’ll just have to get used to legs.” 

They passed the paper through the new hole and Virgil just scowled, not reaching to take it. “Where am I supposed to put that?” His tone implied that the being in front of him was not thinking with their entire brain.

Remy just laughed, waving the scrap again. “I’ve already protected it from water, babe. You could even shove it under that atrocity you call a shirt and it’d stay there until needed. Just put it on your ledge and you’ll be fine until you can leave.”

Virgil was still skeptical but took the paper and shoved it into the corner, surprised by it not doing anything. He still kept an eye on it. “Okay. Is there a time limit for the trinket thing?”

Remy seemed to think about it before they nodded. “I’ll be nice. You have a few months for it.”

Virgil nodded. A few moon rotations wouldn’t be that bad. He could deal with having legs for that long without too much strife. He would miss the water dearly but at least he would be able to cache in quite a few favors once he came back. “One last thing before you leave, do you have any cups?” His eyes locked on the thing Remy was currently drinking out of. “Clean cups, preferably?”

Remy seemed taken aback by that. “I have a clean reusable cup, would that work?”

Virgil nodded, his lips stretching to show his slightly pointed teeth. “That will do fine.”


	5. Escape and Meeting

Virgil was woken the next morning when the transition from fins to legs happened. Luckily, it wasn’t as painful as Virgil thought it would be. It felt like his tail and the fins that crept up his sides had simply fallen asleep, a pins and needles kind of pain. The fins on his sides seemed to flatten and retreat into his skin. His tail split apart, starting from the median notch in between his flukes. That pain was a bit sharper but nothing he couldn’t handle. Soon, the scales were almost melting into skin, and he was left with nothing but his shirt. The only piece of clothing he had came down to the middle of the leg, what the pirates called ‘knees’. 

Virgil had a full turn of the moon to get used to having legs and knees as, through the gap in the tarp, he watched the pirates go about their days and he waited for an opportunity to escape. His tank was just long enough that he could stand and walk a few steps. It was hard at first, like a newborn human must walk. Eventually, he understood how to do it. The rocking of the boat and the confines of the tank must have made his walking pattern weird and unlike most humans’. He saw the way the pirates walked and tried to follow that but understood that they were most likely the exception and not the rule based on how the cliff figure walked. He tried to match the way Logan walked but it was hard when all he had to go off were memories created at a distance.

The day to escape arrived sooner than Virgil thought it would but, judging by the phases of the moon, it was still a week or two after Remy showed up. Most of the pirates, including Remus, had gone down to the town for a break while the sun was high in the sky. The rest of the crew seemed to have gone into the ship for a nap or something. Either way, the coast was clear.

Virgil filled the cup with water and grabbed the scrap of paper before he slid out of the hole Remy made and landed heavily on the floor. His first steps outside of water were heavier than he thought they’d be as he didn’t have the water to cushion him. Needless to say, his steps alerted the pirates that he was moving.

He tried to go faster, feeling himself pick up speed. He had been unsure how fast or long he could go but soon figured out that it was at least a bit faster than the pirates as he made it over the gangplank and into the woods that surrounded the beach, pausing just long enough to empty the water into the sand, where it could be returned to its kind. Virgil knew the ship hadn’t moved from where he was first captured, the gangplank reaching all the way to the wooden structure jutting out from the beach, probably because the pirates wanted to see if anyone would come for him.

Knowing he was faster than the pirates, he pushed himself to his limit, running as if he were being chased by an angry kelpie instead of mere men. The same muscles he used for swimming were turned into muscles to be used for running, causing him to be able to have a higher stamina and endurance than the others. It didn’t help his subtlety as he had no idea how to avoid the smaller plants or the low hanging branches. This resulted in even more cuts along his legs, the ones from his tail having transferred over, and new ones forming on his face and arms and chest as he tried to block. The only direction he had was to keep the cliff to his right. If it was always there, he’d be running away from the pirates and that’s all that mattered in the moment. He couldn’t keep himself from shooting glances backwards, hoping to outrun the pirates.

Not looking where he was going, Virgil didn’t notice the large tree that laid in his path until he tripped over it. He rolled downhill for a little while, hands desperately reaching for anything that would stabilize him or slow his descent in any way. In time, he managed to hang onto a tree root that was sticking out of the side of the hill, stopping him in his tracks and letting him be deeply aware of the new cuts on his palms. 

“Are you okay?” A voice sounded from behind Virgil.

He spun around, hands still clenched around the root, looking for the person who spoke. Finding that he was at a level enough area that it was safe to release the root, he did so. Standing, he tried to brush himself off but was met with bloody palms. “You know, I don’t know if I am.” He said by way of a response, still breathing heavily.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, causing his eyes to move from his palms up to the stranger’s eyes. This, in turn, caused him to realize that the stranger wasn’t as much of a stranger as he thought. He found those seaglass blue eyes staring at him, laced with concern and compassion in a way that oddly made Virgil feel safe and like crying at the same time. “Can I help at all?” The cliff figure, _Logan’s_ , voice was smooth and soft, like he was speaking to a spooked sea otter.

Virgil shrugged, feeling tears gather in his eyes even as he wanted to bury his head in the stranger’s chest, searching for a comfort he would usually find in his siblings. “I don’t know.”

Logan nodded as if he understood exactly what Virgil just said. “Well, may I ask why you were running through the woods in nothing but what looks to be a potato sack?”

Virgil looked down at his garment, seeing it was quite torn from the run. “I was running from someone.”

The man nodded, removing his hand from Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil mourned the loss of contact. Logan untied a black and white piece of cloth from around his waist, tying it around Virgil’s with the knot on his hip. He nodded as if satisfied before walking over to a contraption Virgil recognized from Logan’s many trips to the cliff. It was some device that he was able to sit on and travel distances that mers were usually only able to travel if they tamed a kelpie, which was hard and extremely dangerous. Virgil was wary of the land kelpie that didn’t look like a kelpie, taking a step away from it. 

Logan seemed to notice him do that. “It’s alright, I’m not going to leave you.” As if that were to help calm Virgil down.

His ears pricked as he heard the sounds of people in the plants behind him. He took a few hesitant steps closer as Logan opened a chest-like compartment in the back of the land kelpie. He grabbed what seemed to be a head covering and thrust it into Virgil’s hands. “Hurry and put this on, I can hear the people gaining on you.”

Virgil did as he was told, sliding the head covering on and latching the strap. Once he did that, Logan came over and checked the strap, his own head covering already on. “It looks good. Okay, hop on.”

He straddled the land kelpie, his hands gripping what looked to be horns protruding from the front. Virgil didn’t like the look of the horns but they didn’t look sharp enough to do any damage so he slid on behind Logan, the seat causing them to be quite close together. Logan looked back at him, his eyes shining with something Virgil couldn’t name. “Hold on tight.”

Virgil did so, his arms wrapping around Logan’s waist and locking into the fabric of the front of his shirt. Logan did something to cause the land kelpie to roar and they were off, leaving the woods behind in favor of a long stretch of open land. The wind was too much and Virgil ended up with his face in Logan’s back, breathing his scent deeply. Virgil had never been good with earth scents but Logan smelled like the woods they just left and seawater. He smelled as close to home as Virgil had smelled for weeks and he couldn’t get enough.

✴ ✴ ✴

Logan let out a loud laugh as the wind buffeted his hair, his leather jacket wrapped snugly around him along with the stranger’s arms. His motorcycle roared as he hit the gas, not only wanting to get away from whoever was chasing the poor man but also desperate to be home and having his wounds cared for. He drove down the highway before using the exit that took him to the area in which his home resided. He had planned on visiting the cliff he usually went to at this time of day, having finally gotten a clean bill of health from his doctor after three weeks of bedrest, only to be sidetracked by an interesting looking feather on the ground. He’d never seen it before and knew it didn’t come from any local wildlife.

However, he’d been distracted by the handsome stranger falling down the hill to his right. The man was covered in cuts and bruises that couldn’t have all come from the undergrowth and low hanging branches. He had a wild look in his dark blue eyes when he was falling, a look that came from being caged or lost in the wilderness. When he had stopped sliding, he’d been breathing heavily and his legs were unsteady as a newborn deer’s, his hair that looked black but would be purple when dry sticking to his scalp and covering an eye. Logan had tried to be gentle and kind but the man looked like he was about to cry when he turned around. So, Logan did the only thing he could in that moment: offer help. Now, the man was holding onto him as if he’d never let go and Logan’s heart ached for him.


	6. Storm, Virgil Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who forgot time existed?!

They pulled up to Logan’s house and Virgil was told he could lift his head. He expected the house to be a simple one, such as most of the mer inhabited. What he didn’t expect was a castle that rivaled his own. Virgil came to a few conclusions in that moment. The first was that Logan was no normal human, but at least of some sort of royal standing, most likely a prince. The second was that the man he’d been watching for two years was a prince. The last was that he had no idea how to deal with human royalty.

He wasn’t given much more time to process these three things as he was pulled into the castle and through a series of passageways that resulted in a room that looked similar to Elliot’s study. There was dark paneling that Virgil recognized from sunken ships as oak. Shelves lined the walls, holding more books than Virgil had ever seen. Sure, he’d seen a few, but they were always too damaged to be much use besides for mers to learn to read from. Even then, most mers learned from slate tablets and the like. The floor was covered in a carpet that wasn't made of seaweed or algae.

Looking up from the floor, he saw that Logan had sat in a comfortable looking chair behind the dark wood desk. The chair looked to be the same material as his jacket but Virgil didn’t know the type of wood the desk was made of. Virgil sat in the chair on the other side of the desk, curling his legs around the side of the chair when he didn’t know what to do with them.

Logan looked sympathetic as Virgil winced when the chair came into contact with a larger cut from the ropes. “I’ll get someone to look at those for you.” He grabbed a small box off the desk, making it light up with a button before tapping the surface quickly for a minute and putting it down. “There, my manservant should be along shortly with a fresh change of clothes and a first aid kit for the cuts.”

Virgil smiled, grateful. “Thank you. You’re too kind as is.”

Logan nodded. “It’s my pleasure to help a person in need. Although, I must ask, how did you come to be running through the woods?”

Virgil panicked, not that you would have noticed as from the outside his face barely twitched. Thinking light on his fins, he hastily concocted a story. “I really don’t know. I woke up in a pirate ship and, when I ran out, someone shouted to grab me. I ran for my life after that. Then you came across me and . . . you know the rest.”

A knock sounded at the door before it was pushed open to reveal the same man who found Logan on the beach. “Logan, you texted?”

“Ah, Patton. Come on in.” Logan stood and rounded the desk, crossing the room quickly and opening the door all the way. “I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything.”

Patton shook his head, his glasses slipping down his freckled nose at the movement. “Nope! Always happy to help!” He spotted Virgil and his expression softened, his brown eyes melting in concern. “Oh, kiddo. Are you okay?”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t think I even know what okay is at this point.”

Logan nodded, using long strides to cross back to his chair. “That’s understandable from what you’ve told me so far. Tell me, do you remember anything before the pirates?”

Patton gasped, hands pausing their investigation of Virgil's wounds. “Pirates? On our shores?”

Logan nodded. “Yes, Pat. I’m handling it, please focus on your patient.” He turned his inquisitive gaze back to Virgil, making the mer intensely aware that he was the focus of the whole room in that moment.

“I don’t, no.” Virgil replied. “ My earliest memory right now is the pirate ship.”

Logan nodded. “Do you remember your name?”

“Yes, it’s Virgil.” 

“Do you have a last name?”

Virgil almost gave him his given surname of Strand but that might have tipped him off that he was a mer and he wasn’t quite sure how that was going to go. Instead, he thought back to their first true interaction. “Storm. My name’s Virgil Storm. I know that much.”

Logan was taking notes on a piece of stationary but he paused at Virgil’s last statement. “You know that much? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, I don’t know who my family is or even where I’m from. I’ve got nothing to go off, nothing to help me find them.” Virgil let his frustration show just the slightest bit in his voice and mannerisms. 

Patton patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m sure Logan can convince his dad to let you stay at least until your wounds are healed. Right, Lo?” He turned to face Logan, hope evident in his eyes.

Logan sighed, making a note about, from what Virgil could read, the pirates. “I will have to speak to my father but, as he’s away on a business trip, I guess Thomas will be the one making the short term decisions. I will discuss it with him. In the meantime, Patton, would you please make sure Virgil’s wounds are taken care of and he is given a clean set of clothes?”

Patton gave him a playful salute. “Sure thing!”

“Excellent. I shall return shortly.” With that, Logan left Virgil alone with Patton. True to his word, he was back soon. While he was gone, Patton managed to bandage all of Virgil’s legs and was fretting over his ‘feet’. 

“My brother said you could stay for now. His one condition was that you have to leave as soon as possible. When your wounds heal, when you regain your memories, or when a family member or friend comes to get you, whichever comes first.”

Virgil nodded. “If I am unable to, please thank him for his hospitality and inform him I do not intend to impose on anyone longer than necessary. Trust me, I want to be gone just as badly as you want me gone.”

Logan rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks dusted with pink. “My wording made it sound like we are inhospitable hosts, I apologize. Please, stay as long as you need.”

Virgil smiled, pushing to a standing position once Patton stepped back. “Thank you.” He swayed, being caught by Patton. 

Logan stepped forward, concern evident in his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Virgil tried to wave them off, shifting his feet to a wider stance. “I’m fine, just a bit dizzy.”

“It might just be because he stood up too fast but it might also be due to blood loss or fatigue.” Patton commented. “I suggest we get him to bed.”

Logan nodded. “That would be best. Do you need help bringing him to a room in my wing?”

Patton shook his head, slipping one of Virgil’s arms over his shoulders. “Nope, I should be good. Do you want me to inform you which room he’s in?”

“Yes, I think that’d be best.”

Patton led Virgil away, up to the second floor and down a long corridor before opening a heavy looking wooden door and easing him onto a bed. “Rest for now, I’ll leave the clothes on the dresser for when you feel up to changing.”

“Thank you. Again, I apologize for the amount of trouble I’ve caused.”

Patton smiled, shaking his head, his brown hair fluffing out around him. “It’s no trouble at all. In fact, it’s more good than you know that you’re here.”

With that, he left, plunging the room into darkness as the door closed behind him. Virgil rolled onto his side, wishing the bed felt different, wishing it were the bed of seaweed and sea moss he was used to, wishing he had the weight of the water pushing down on him and making him feel safe. As it was, his exhaustion won out and he managed to slip into a more restful sleep than he’d been getting recently.


	7. The Castle

Virgil woke to the sound of knocking on the door. Sitting up, he swept his hair out of his eyes. “Come in.”

Patton’s head peeked in, light from the outside making it seem like he was glowing. “Sorry to wake you, Virgil. I was sent to let you know that it’s half an hour ‘til dinner.”

Virgil nodded. “I’ll be out as soon as I’ve changed.” Patton smiled and shut the door. 

He stood from the too different bed, head pounding from the crash of adrenaline as well as the lack of proper sleep from the last few weeks. His eyes were already adjusted to the dark so he had no trouble finding the dresser and the clothes that lay atop it. 

He picked up the pile, the fabric different from what he was used to. He dressed quickly, almost falling over as he tried to put the leg coverings on but he managed to do it. The shirt was a soft plaid the color of a purple sunset over the ocean. The pants were a deep blue that made Virgil think of the ocean floor. 

A knock sounded at the door again and Patton’s head returned. “Are you ready?”

Virgil nodded, exchanging the dark room for the brightly lit hallway. He turned to Patton, arms out slightly as he spun slowly. “Do I look presentable?”

Patton frowned. “Your hair is a mess.”

Virgil reached up to feel it. “I have no idea what it’s supposed to look like.”

Patton moved back into the room Virgil had vacated and gestured for the mer to follow him. Virgil sat on the side of the bed, curious as to what the manservant was planning. Patton opened the dresser and picked up an object that resembled a sea urchin attached to a stick. He turned around and held it up. “Do you mind if I brush your hair for you?”

Virgil shrugged. “If that is what is presentable.”

Patton smiled and came to sit behind Virgil. The mer felt fingers tangling with his locks, quickly followed by the urchin like part of the object. It was a strange sensation but not an unpleasant one. Patton was quick and efficient. Soon, his hands stilled and retreated, leaving Virgil’s hair feeling smoother.

Virgil stood, making his way to the looking glass set in the corner of the room. His hair was lying flat against his skin, not wild and flowing like it was in the water. He turned back around to face the manservant, who now stood by the door. “Does it look better?” He had no way of gauging human beauty standards so trusted Patton’s judgement. 

Patton smiled. “You look great!” He led the way back down the hallway and to the first floor, moving through other hallways with barely any hesitation, completely at ease in this large building. They quickly made their way to a large dining room that already had the table set. 

Patton stepped off to the side and Virgil noticed that, even though the head of the table remained empty, other seats were filled out with Logan and two other people, a place next to Logan left over for Virgil. He sat, once again curling his legs around a chair leg, not exactly sure what to do with them.

The other adult at the table, who Virgil guessed to be Thomas, caught his eye with a smile. “So, Virgil, was it?”

Virgil nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Logan tells me you were captured by pirates.”

The small child sitting next to him, who could be no older than ten, lit up at the sound of that. “Pirates?! Really?”

Virgil nodded, smiling slightly at the enthusiasm. “Yes, the farthest back my memory currently goes is to waking on the pirate ship and running for my life.”

The child almost stood from his seat but Thomas pushed his shoulder back down gently. “Real pirates? Oh, boy!”

Thomas sighed. “Roman, please just eat your soup.”

Virgil looked down at his place setting to find a round, shallow dish filled with a liquid. To his right was a utensil that seemed to be designed to carry the liquid, the soup. Glancing at the child, he observed how he was scooping the soup into the utensil and bringing it to his mouth, blowing gently on it before eating. Virgil copied him to the best of his ability, having never encountered either soup before.

The table conversation went on, Thomas interrogating Virgil while trying to contain the rambunctious ten year old. Whenever Thomas wasn’t questioning Virgil, Logan was trying to see how bad his amnesia was. That was difficult as Virgil was unsure how similar their societies were or how much Virgil would have to bluff. It seemed that they were similar enough that Virgil was able to at least pass the childhood aspect of the test, failing the rest of the test as he tried to keep up the amnesia facade.

Over the course of the meal, Logan and Virgil’s conversation ventured away from what Virgil remembered and veered toward getting to know each other. Virgil was fascinated by Logan’s enthusiasm for the stars. He spoke of going late at night to gaze at them through his telescope, the tube he only ever used at night. Logan talked about his ventures into painting, the stand and white rectangle, saying how it helped him calm down after a stressful time.

Virgil really couldn’t talk about his own interests as he wasn’t supposed to remember them. So, he just observed the happy family, the way Logan always spoke nicely to Roman, always on his level of knowledge, not Logan’s. He saw the way Thomas tried to engage Roman in the conversation, even if it meant using smaller words. He smiled, knowing this family was loving and strong.

Once the meal was over, Roman jumped out of his seat and asked Thomas if he could show Virgil around the castle. Thomas laughed and said it was fine as long as Logan went too, confessing he still had some work to complete or he’d be joining them. Logan agreed and the group was off. Roman tried to narrate what they were seeing and where they were going but quickly got tired. Logan picked him up, settling him on his back, and took up the narration, giving a better explanation of things. Soon, they passed through a hallway that was filled with paintings of people on their way to the library.

“Who are those?” Virgil asked, his eyes lingering on each individual, some looking similar and others completely different. He’d never encountered anything similar but guessed they were like what Logan did with the stand and canvas.

“Ah. Those are the generations of Ackroyd’s that came before us. They are our ancestors and, one day, we will join them.”

Virgil frowned. “Forgive me if I sound stupid, but you surely can’t mean that you actually trap souls in paintings, can you?”

Logan laughed, a melody of sound that traveled the length of the hall. “No, we don’t imprison souls in art. The paintings are simply the likeness of the person. Their painting is done when they come of age but it is not hung until the subject either ascends to the throne or dies.”

Virgil nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the explanation.”

“It’s no trouble.” Logan shifted, settling the now sleeping child into a better position. “Although, I do believe that I should get this bug to bed. If you would wait here a moment, I would be glad to show you more of the castle when I get back.”

Virgil smiled and nodded. Logan walked down the hall and Virgil turned to look at the different paintings. He wandered the corridor, eventually coming to stand in front of the last picture on the wall. He was admiring it for a few minutes, picking out the resemblance in features to Logan and Thomas and, to a lesser degree, Roman.

“That’s my father, the current king.” Logan’s voice said behind Virgil, causing the mer to jump.

“I didn’t hear you return.” he chuckled, turning slightly, allowing Logan to stand beside him. “You mentioned he was away, do you know where?”

“Yes, he and my younger brother, Orville, are away dealing with a business deal that could secure safe trading routes for centuries to come. While he is gone, Thomas and I are splitting the day to day mundane tasks that Father would normally oversee. One of such tasks is to send a battalion after that pirate ship you mentioned. If all goes well, they will no longer be able to cause anyone else harm.” 

Logan’s voice had started out as smooth while speaking of his family but changed to a harder, passionate tone when he brought up the pirates. Turning to look into his eyes, Virgil found a similar passion there that caused him to simultaneously want to look deeper and turn away. He chose the second option, heat rising to his cheeks at the thought of the first. 

Virgil cleared his throat. “Should we continue the tour?”

Logan nodded. “If you wish. I’ll take you to the library but I’m not sure how much longer you should be about, you need your rest for your injuries to heal properly.”

Of course. Because that was the main goal right now. Healing the injuries before getting the crystal and getting back to his blessing. That was what mattered right now. Virgil shook his head almost imperceptibly, needing to do the action to clear it. His hand reached to fidget with the other sleeve as they continued their walk, the silence almost deafening now that Logan wasn’t narrating everything in sight.

When they entered the library, Virgil’s jaw was almost on the floor. He spun in a wide circle, trying to understand that so many books could exist in the world, let alone in one room. If he’d been paying attention to Logan, he would have seen the small smile that crossed his face at Virgil’s wonder. 

The walls seemed to go up at least three stories, bookshelves lining each of them and filled with enough pieces of literature of varying sizes to keep Virgil entertained his whole life. He almost wasn’t sure if he would ever see this many books again. His eyes trailed up the cases, marveling at the intricate carvings he’d only seen ruins of. When he got to the top of the room, he found windows at the very top that allowed for light to fill the room while still preserving the books. 

“Would you like to take one back to your room for some light reading before bed?” Logan’s voice once again startled him back into paying attention to his surroundings rather than his wandering thoughts. He spun back around to face Logan, mind still going a mile a minute but he was now in the eye of the hurricane instead of the brunt of the storm. 

“I don’t think I’d know where to start.” He confessed, a blush dusting his cheeks in embarrassment. 

Logan just chuckled and took a few steps forward. “What kind of books interest you?”

Virgil shrugged. “All of them. I’d honestly try to read everything I can get my hands on.”

Logan nodded, moving to the nearest bookshelf. “Well, then how about staring you off on the history of the nation. Would that be agreeable?”

Virgil almost jumped for joy but remembered at the last second that he couldn’t do that in human form in a way that would satisfy the movement he wanted to make. Instead, he simply squealed softly and nodded.”That would be great.”

Logan smiled and handed him a large tome. “This should be enough for now. I suggest getting some sleep now as your wounds will benefit from that.”

Virgil nodded. “That’s a good idea. Are you heading to bed as well?” Part of him wanted to spend more time with Logan, even if it were spent in silence walking down a hall.

Logan shook his head, a regretful smile playing on his lips. “Unfortunately, I still have some work to do. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Then I shall bid you a good night.”

“Do you need me to call someone to escort you back to your room or do you remember the way?” Virgil wondered if that was genuine concern or if Logan was trying to figure out what kind of amnesia Virgil had. Either way, it was sweet.

“Just down the hall, up the stairs, and my room should be the third on the left. I think I’ll be fine but I appreciate the offer.” 

Logan nodded and started in the opposite direction, heading to his personal study. Virgil went back to his room, changing into the pajamas he found waiting there and crawled into the too different bed. He read for a bit but soon fell asleep again, the run through the woods finally catching up to him.

He woke to the same tingles in his legs and sides as he had the previous few weeks. He didn’t want to shed scales on the bed, nor did he want to spend the whole night trapped in the bed. So, he quickly scrambled out of it and his pants, unsure how the transition would take fabric being between the legs when they fused back into a tail. He found the door to the bathroom, managing to fill the tub and slipping in just as his tail took shape, his fins sprouting from his sides. 

He sighed in contentment, finally in sustained contact with fresh water again. It curled around him, thanking him for the simple act of freeing part of the tank water. He smiled, knowing he would be able to cash in a favor but deciding to save it. He sank deeper into the tub, grateful for it being deep enough that he could almost submerge himself in the water. Feeling comfortable in his own scales for the first time in a few weeks and the sound of the water moving acting as a lullaby, he quickly drifted into a deep, healing sleep.

He woke as the sun came through the window and his tail began to tingle once more, signaling the change. He waited until it changed back to legs, mourning the loss of his fins already. He inspected his injuries and found that the bandages that wound around his legs were still intact. He stood from the tub and drained it before making his way back to the bed, slipping under the covers to drift until woken by someone else.


	8. The Lake

Virgil quickly committed the castle layout to memory over the course of the next week, easily being able to travel between rooms and not get lost. He spent much of his time in the library, wanting to read every book in there but starting with the history books. Logan was normally in the library as per his daily routine so they stayed close to each other, most times sharing the same table. It was good that he was there as Virgil would have forgotten such basic necessities as food or sleep without his reminders. As it was, if he didn’t have to deal with the transformations every night, he probably would have tried to sneak into the library or even fall asleep in it.

Logan tried to strike up a conversation toward the end of the week. “Why do you spend so much time here?”

Virgil shrugged, not looking up from his book. “I could ask you the same question, you know.”

“Fair enough. I at least have the reason of studying for personal interest. What is your reason?”

He looked at him then, sitting across the table in casual clothes of a leather jacket, a dark blue shirt with his usual tie laying discarded on the table, and his eyes unblocked by hair. “I don’t honestly know. Part of me simply wants as much knowledge as possible about a place I have no memory of visiting. The other part is troubled that I have no memory and wants to see if anything in here makes sense to me or stands out as something I remember. I don’t know if I’m just naturally curious or desperate to find who I was.” For someone without amnesia, he sure did make it sound convincing.

Logan nodded, putting his hands up in mock defeat. “Okay, that’s fair. Have you found anything yet?”

Virgil shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Okay, how about we head out to the lawns? Maybe you can think better out there. I know on occasion I find the change in scenery more stimulating.” Virgil nodded and stood with him, moving out to the lawn where they were later joined by Roman. Virgil ended up playing with him eventually, even if it was when Logan took the book away from him.

“Virgil, you need to get your nose out of a book every once in a while.” Logan said as he placed a bookmark between the pages and snapped the book shut, his eyes barely leaving his own book.

Virgil halfheartedly reached for it. “But it’s so interesting!” He whined. “Besides, I was almost done with my chapter.”

Logan shook his head, finally looking at him in soft exasperation. “Go play with Roman for a few minutes to stretch your legs, then you can have it back. Fair?”

Virgil grumbled but rolled onto his back and stood, running after Roman as the child ran away, shrieking in excitement. In truth, Virgil loved the feeling of running just as much as he loved to learn. He enjoyed being able to exercise in a new way that was completely different than swimming. So, he chased the tall child through the grass as his thoughts wandered to every little thing, getting distracted by every new thing. 

He didn’t notice he’d stopped chasing Roman until a splash was heard. Whipping his head around, he noticed a small lake with no Roman in sight, Logan’s shouts registering in the background. Virgil quickly understood where Roman had gone, into the lake, and dove in after him. He put his hands together, parting the water and using his feet as a poor excuse for flukes. He kept his eyes open, naturally being able to see underwater.

Spotting the child, he swam over and grabbed him around the waist before kicking to the surface and floating on his back, Roman nestled on his stomach. He backstroked to shore and carefully put Roman down first before getting out, turning him onto his side and gently hitting his back to help the water get out of his lungs. He thought about using up his new favor to the water for this but just before he could, Roman coughed and started breathing on his own. 

Logan was almost frantic as he tried to make sure Roman was alright. Once Virgil saw he was coughing the water out and breathing on his own, he knew Roman would be fine so focused on getting his breathing and heart rate back under control. Flopping onto his back, he allowed the sun to hit his skin as he focused on his breathing. Subtly, he kept a hand in the water and allowed it to swirl around his finger in an attempt to calm it and himself.

Eventually, Logan seemed to remember Virgil was there and turned to him, still cradling the soaking wet Roman. “Thank you so much, Virgil. I don’t really know how to repay you for saving my nephew. Say the word and it’ll be yours.”

Virgil shrugged, hunching in the clothes that now stuck to him. “If anything, it should be my way of thanking you for taking me in. I’m a literal stranger to you all, you took quite the risk letting me into your home. It only makes sense for me to take a risk for you as well. You have no need to repay me.” He could feel a blush rise at his own words but it was an almost welcome warmth compared to the wind blowing. 

Still, he went inside and changed into dry clothes, making sure to dry most of the water off before changing. He left the water on his face and the backs of his hands, liking the way it felt. Instead of going back inside, he went back to the library to study human history more.

That night was easier than the other transitions as he was prepared and had a set routine for it. He slipped out of the bed a quarter hour until midnight, filling the tub with water and letting himself transition in there as it was easier. It was nice to feel the water gently lapping at his fins once more, it made him feel mer again. He drifted off to sleep faster than previous nights, exhausted from the day's events.


	9. The Town

In the third week of Virgil being there, Thomas sought him out in the library. If he had come at any other time it might have been hard to find him. As Logan was focused on the pirate situation, he had abandoned his personal studies and, consequently, Virgil. As a result, Virgil had found a small, out of the way nook and had managed to wedge himself into it in a comfortable position. It was nice to have constant pressure after all. It made him feel like he was underwater again. He just so happened to have finished his book before Thomas came in.

So, instead of finding the mer curled in a corner that would have taken Thomas ages to find as Virgil tuned the world out, he found him half-way up a ladder with a large book in his hands. “Virgil?” Thomas asked, trying not to startle him.

Luckily, Virgil’d wrapped a leg around the ladder and had a tight grip with one hand. He looked down and smiled brightly. “Thomas! What can I do for you?”

Thomas waited until both of Virgil’s feet were firmly on the ground again before speaking. “I was heading into town and wondered if you wanted to come with me.”

Virgil nodded. “You were thinking I might remember something or someone might spot me that would recognize me, right?” Because all that mattered was to find his memory and get out of their gills.

Thomas laughed and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, I actually thought it would do you good to get out of the castle grounds and get some exercise in.”

Virgil smiled. “Is anyone else going or will it just be the two of us?”

“Logan’s coming too.”

Virgil nodded. “Just give me a few minutes to get ready and I’ll meet you by the front door.” Thomas nodded and left with a smile. 

Virgil put the book he’d just grabbed down on a desk, putting a note on it to make sure the librarians don’t put it away. He grabbed the discarded beanie from the nook and ran up to his room to grab the slip of paper with the description of the crystal on it. He quickly made his way back downstairs to see that the two brothers were waiting at the door for him.

“Sorry for taking so long.” Virgil said as he approached.

Logan smiled. “It wasn’t that long.” He gave him a once over. “You got everything you need?”

“Yep.” He held up the scrap of paper. “I’ve got everything.”

“What’s that?” Thomas asked as he led the way around to the storage area for the vehicles. From what Virgil managed to learn from Logan, they were taking a car instead of the land kelpie that Logan called a motorcycle.

“It’s a piece of paper I had in my hand when I woke up. I think it might help me remember something.”

Logan smiled, leaning to put a hand on his shoulder. “Thomas only has some errands to run. While he’s doing that, we can look for whatever’s on the paper.”

Virgil was suddenly aware of the pit that was in his stomach lessening, his breathing getting a bit easier. He might be back in the ocean before the third tide came in and that thought made him almost giddy. He had a hard time staying still during the car ride, looking out the window for even a glimpse of the water, of home. He didn’t like the seat belt he had to put on when he got in but he didn’t mind it all that much if it meant that he got to travel.

Soon enough, they were at the town and they were spilling out of the car. Virgil tried to stick close to Logan at first while Thomas went off to get his things, a guard trailing after each group, but his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to look at everything that caught his attention so he was wandering from storefront to storefront, just looking in the windows. At one point, he found a store that really held his attention and he had to stop himself from pressing his whole face into the glass. 

The whole store was filled with candy the likes of which Virgil had never seen. There were large bricks of brown candy sitting on slabs of wood, paper in between the bricks. Behind them, Virgil could see cases of candy of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. He was sure that if he simply focused on his reflection, he would have looked like a love struck guppy. 

Behind him, Logan laughed. “I see you found the candy store.”

Virgil turned to him, hands still pressed against the window. “Is that what this is?” His voice was filled with wonder at the new experience.

Logan nodded, his eyes crinkling at the sight of Virgil’s excitement. “Yes, that’s a candy shop.” He shook his head, smile still in place. “I forget you don’t have all your memories sometimes.”

Virgil nodded, finally stepping away from it. “Maybe we can get some candy on our way back. I think we should keep looking for this gem right now.”

Logan nodded, moving to walk beside Virgil rather than trail behind him. Walking along the street, they ducked into every jewelry store they saw, Virgil questioning the store clerks about the description. Every one of them turned up empty. They even tried the rockhound shop they found along the way but that turned out to be a dried riverbed as well. 

Eventually, they came across an art store. Logan got excited and dragged Virgil in to look at all the canvases and the paint selection. Virgil got distracted by the bookmarks at the front desk, putting the paper down to look at them. Some had patterns on them similar to the star shapes he saw in the night sky, others looked like the nebulas that were visible from sea, still others were patterned to look like waves but were iridescent when moved. The ones that truly stood out to him were iridescent ones that looked like scales, reminding him of his own shimmering purple tail.

He was startled back into reality when the attendant at the front desk picked up the piece of paper he’d set down, glancing over it. “Are you looking for this?” They asked.

Virgil looked up, seeing the paper in their hands. “Yes, I’m looking for a stone that matches that description. Do you happen to know where I can find one?”

“You could try the costume store on the other side of the city. Or there’s the jewelry store in that same area that might do it for you. It depends on how good quality you want out of it.”

Virgil smiled, the excitement building in his chest as he thought about being back home soon. Strangely, a bittersweet sadness mixed with the joy, as he knew he would miss the humans he was staying with. Thinking of which, Logan came back behind him with a few tubes of paint in his hands and a smile on his face. 

Virgil laughed, seeing the way he almost dropped the items as he approached. “You got that?”

Logan nodded, dropping the objects on the counter. “Virgil, they’ve got so much stuff here, we’ve gotta come back soon!”

Virgil smiled, his hand reaching out to graze against one of the tail bookmarks. Logan noticed and quietly nudged him as the attendant rang up the paints. “Pick one and I’ll pay for it.”

Virgil looked at him, awe invading his gaze. “Really?”

Logan nodded and Virgil shyly picked up a bookmark that was almost the exact shade of his tail, the scale pattern shimmering as it was moved. Logan smiled and added it to the pile as Virgil slipped his paper back into his pocket. Soon, they were exiting the store. Logan glanced at Virgil. “Does anything seem familiar?” His voice held a tone of hope.

Virgil shrugged, hands in his pockets. “The store clerk said we might be able to find the stone on the other side of the city.” He thought back to the bookmarks. “I recognized some of the constellations on the bookmarks, as well as some of the patterns seemed familiar.”

Logan smiled. “That’s good news, Virgil!” He nudged him with his shoulder, causing the mer to be off balance and stumble to the side. Catching on quickly, Virgil shoved him back. They continued their game for a few more paces before Logan’s pocket dinged.

Pulling out the same box from all those weeks ago, a  _ phone _ , Logan read over and responded to a text before turning around. “Come on, Thomas is done with his errands and agreed to meet at the candy store you found earlier.”

Virgil frowned. “But what about the store across the city?”

Logan smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, bookworm. We’ll come back in a week and we can go then, is that okay?”

Virgil nodded even as his eyes stung. He knew it couldn’t be helped but it still hurt. “Yeah,” he choked out, “that works.” He tried to hide his disappointment the best he could.

Logan held the door open as they entered. “How about you pick out a candy for yourself and Roman, hmm? I want to talk to Thomas about something real quick but I’ll join you soon.”

Virgil made a noise of understanding and pasted on a fake smile, pushing the thought of the crystal to the back of his mind as he looked through the overwhelming amount of candy in front of him. The smells swirling around the building were almost too much to bear all at once. Even so, he watched Logan walk away before turning to scan the merchandise. He felt vulnerable without the familiar figure of Logan by his side but he knew the bodyguard that followed him would keep him safe. Soon, that fake smile became real as he lost himself in the sweets. 

It took him longer than he thought it would, Thomas and Logan having already picked out their treats. They’d even stayed in a group so the bodyguards could pick out treats as well but Virgil still wasn’t done. When he finally was, he settled on a mix of sour and sweet shark shaped gummies for Roman and a stick of rock candy for himself. It reminded him of the coral that populated the area around his home, the bright blue being a nice contrast to everything around them.

As they were exiting, Virgil wanted nothing more than to close his eyes, to protect them from the too bright lights, and lay his head on Logan’s shoulder in the hopes of sleeping, even for a few minutes. He knew that when they got back to the castle, he’d disappear into his little alcove that no one but he knew of, and just sit by himself for a while. It had been a good trip, but it had also been an exhausting trip. 

✴ ✴ ✴

He watched as they exited the building, Logan laughing at something Thomas said and the other with them strangely subdued from what he’d been watching the rest of the trip. Ducking back, he stayed out of sight as the trio climbed into their car, the tall one in the middle between the royals. Cursing, he slunk away, his left eye starting to glow as he crept into the dark of the alley behind him. He had hoped to get him this time but knew another opportunity would present itself. He just had to be patient. Patience was a virtue he’d learned a long time ago. He could wait as long as it took. One day, he would have him in his grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rockhound: The slang term for rock collectors/enthusiasts.


	10. All At Once Everything Looks Different...

Logan and Virgil spent a lot of time in the library. However, once they stayed so late the librarians had to politely ask them to leave. Logan smiled at Virgil. “Do you wanna come up to my room so we can continue this discussion?”

Virgil glanced at the clock and saw that it was only nine. “Sure! I still can’t believe you think you’re right on this.”

Soon, they found themselves sitting on Logan’s bed as they debated an arbitrary subject that Virgil barely remembered in the morning. What he did remember was the shine in Logan’s eye when he was speaking his mind, the way he spoke with his hands, the way he organized his thoughts so clearly, a million small things that made him alive.

This became a regular occurrence. Sometimes, they would find themselves in Virgil’s room instead of Logan’s, debating into the late hours of the night. Virgil always had to pretend to be tired before midnight came around, giving himself enough time to fill the tub and slip into it. Once, he pretended to fall asleep mid-debate in the hope Logan would leave. He did, but only after carefully maneuvering Virgil under the covers and pressing a kiss to his temple that must have been a habit left over from tucking Roman in.

Sometimes, Virgil would have his library alcove invaded by Logan, who got fed up with his work and needed a place to be that wasn’t his office. The first time it happened, Virgil was startled into dropping his book. “What are you doing here?” He asked as he bent to retrieve it.

Logan laughed, setting some of his own books down. “I’ve spent my whole life in this castle, I know every inch of it. The better question would be why are you here.”

Virgil shrugged, trying to find his place in the book he’d dropped. “It’s out of the way and quiet. I can be here for hours and no one cares.”

Logan looked at him softly and muttered something that sounded like, “I would care.”

“What was that?”

Logan shook his head, cheeks dusting with pink. “Nothing.”

Nodding, Virgil went back to his book. He was just getting into it, starting to tune out the world, when Logan growled low in his throat. Looking at him, he had a hand through his hair and his other hand was fiddling with his tie. Virgil swung his legs over the side of the bench, leaning over Logan’s shoulder. “What are you looking at,” he asked.

Logan looked up at him, the frustration in his eyes fading. “I’m just trying to deal with the reports coming in from the coast guard.”

“About the pirates?” Virgil put his bookmark in and closed the book, resting his hands on his legs as he gave Logan his full attention. 

“Yes, about those. I’m just having a hard time getting people to believe the pirates were even there to begin with.”

Virgil nodded, a hand rising to subconsciously play with the prince’s hair. “You’ll figure it out eventually. How about you tell me what the problem is. Sometimes, just going through it out loud helps.”

From then on, Logan would invade the small alcove and talk to Virgil about his work when it got too much. Sometimes, it leaked over to his research and Virgil would end up hearing about ocean conservation, galaxies too far away for the eye to see, reforestation, and whatever else caught Logan’s attention for that week.

They spent hours on the lawn together, watching the birds fly around or playing with Roman. Virgil loved the way Logan always made sure to be on Roman’s level without being patronizing. He would talk to him like he was an adult but still understood that Roman was younger. It made Virgil think of the younger members of his blessing when they played.

A full turn and a half of the moon passed in this manner. Virgil became less aware of time passing as days crept on. He was soon swept up in castle life, only knowing time from the moon shining in his window every night. He always saw it clearest while breathing through the water, while in as natural of an environment he could be in given his circumstances. He became less aware of that too as time went on, no longer caring how long he’d been away from his blessing. His thoughts were full of the royal family, Logan always at the forefront. 

The first time Logan took Virgil to the cliff was also the second time Virgil had been on his motorcycle. Logan had loaded his paints and a basket of things Virgil wasn’t allowed to see the contents of. The ride to the cliff was just as scary as the ride away from it had been. If Virgil held Logan just a bit tighter this time around, well, he could hardly be blamed, could he?

Virgil was able to keep his face from being buried in Logan’s back but still let his cheek rest against him, breathing in the wooden smell as he gazed at the surrounding landscape. They passed the woods where Logan had found Virgil, carrying on up the road until they broke off onto a smaller one. This one was made of dirt instead of the gray substance from before. The dirt road brought them to the top of the cliff, where Logan turned the motorcycle off.

Virgil walked to the edge of the cliff, sitting with his legs hanging over the side. He knew how deep the water was and what was in it and knew nothing could hurt him if he fell. He heard Logan messing with things behind him but didn’t pay any mind, too absorbed in looking at the water and breathing in the smell of salt. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that until he was here, the bathtub was nice, but nothing could replace the real thing. Soon, Logan came and sat beside him, legs also dangling over the side. 

“It’s a nice view.” Logan commented.

Virgil nodded. “That it is.”

They sat like that in companionable silence for a few more minutes, Virgil enjoying the smell of the sea that couldn’t be found inland. Soon, Logan slapped his knees and rose, offering a hand to help Virgil up. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, a little bit.” Virgil turned to see the contents of the basket laid out on a red and white checkered blanket, four rocks holding the corners down. There were sandwiches and bottles of juice. He smiled and walked over to sit down. While they ate, they continued their debate from the night before. 

As the day went on, the picnic was replaced with the wooden stand and the rectangle, what Virgil now knew was an easel and canvas. Virgil picked up his book that Logan had managed to smuggle into the basket and sat on the edge of the cliff, reading. When he finished it, he went back to staring at the horizon, getting lost in his thoughts. 

He turned to ask Logan a question and found him absorbed in his work. His tongue was sticking out slightly as his eyes were focused on the canvas, a streak of purple paint lining his cheek. Virgil was struck with the knowledge that the feeling building in his chest is love. He looked down before moving his eyes back to stare at the ocean as he processed this. 

When did this feeling first start? He asked himself. Was it during the three years he’d sat at the base of this cliff and watched him go about life? Was it the days in the library, bouncing thoughts off each other, working through Logan’s work or Virgil talking about his latest discovery, Logan’s whole attention focused on Virgil? Was it the late night debates and pretending to sleep, Logan’s eyes shining as they reached a topic he cared about or when he got to a point he knew he would win with? Or was it a gradual build up from all of those? Was it the slow build of a reef, or a fast tidal wave? 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Logan sitting beside him. Logan turned, smiling at him. “You seem to be healing well.”

Virgil nodded, wondering if he was being kicked out. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to leave soon.”

Logan smiled. “Hopefully not too soon. My father and youngest brother are coming home. My brother has said he will be bringing a bride back to present to the family. I would like to have you there for that. Would you like to be my plus one?”

Virgil’s brow furrowed. “What’s a ‘plus one’?”

“A guest of a guest. I am an invited guest who is allowed to invite another guest.”

“I don’t know what I’d have to wear.”

“I have some of my father’s old suits that might fit you. They’re good quality and you seem to be around the right size for them. If nothing else, we can always commission the royal seamstresses for something. Is that alright with you?” Virgil nodded, smiling. They sat there and watched the sun set before leaving.

That night, they didn’t have time for a debate after supper, both going straight to bed. When Virgil opened his door, he found a figure already sitting on his bed. He reached over and turned on the lights, recognizing the silhouette. “Remy?”

Remy smiled, tilting their head. “I’m impatient.”

Virgil moved to close the curtains slightly, leaving the sliding door open. “What do you want me to do about it?”

“Well,” they paused to take a sip of their drink, “you could get me my stone or I’ll turn you into a fish.”

Virgil sighed, too tired to deal with this. “Is that really the best threat you have?”

“You don’t have that much time to debate this before you turn back into the half fish you are.” Remy shot back.

Virgil held up his hands, palms out. “Fine, fine. I’ll get you the rock by the end of the week.”

Remy smiled, standing and making their way over to the window. They paused to pat Virgil on the cheek. “Good. See that you do.”

“Where can I find you to give you the rock?”

“As long as you are outside the town limit and alone, I’ll find you.” They stepped out onto the balcony before sitting on the railing and falling, disappearing as they fell. Virgil just yawned and went to fill the bathtub for sleeping.


	11. . . . Now That I See You

Logan loved their debates, going into the late hours of the night. They never made it to midnight as Virgil always fell asleep before then. Logan assumed it was due to either his wounds needing a lot of sleep to heal properly or his circadian rhythm. Whichever one it was was fine with him as it meant he could spend time along in his room, winding down from the flurry of excitement that always came with the debates. 

He enjoyed the times where Virgil would seek him out for the pre bed debates. Once, he had forgotten that he was wearing glasses. It seemed Virgil’s amnesia had caused him to forget about contacts so he had to explain that he had to forgo wearing his contacts the night before he changed them. Many times, their debates were carried from the library to Virgil’s room as it was closer to the stairs. These were times Virgil was most likely to fall asleep mid debate. Logan just tucked him under his covers and turned the lights off as he left.

Once, when Logan was looking for a quiet place that wasn’t his office, hoping the change in scenery would produce idea flow, he came across Virgil in the alcove he’d found when he was seven. They bantered for a few minutes while Logan set up his things. As he took his mind off his work for a few minutes, he was better able to focus when he turned his attention back to it. 

Soon, he’d dissolved into his usual muttering and hair pulling while dealing with the papers in front of him. He was trying to understand the reports he was getting from his men but many of them contradicted others and Logan had no idea which were the right ones. He hadn’t realized he’d growled until Virgil had closed his book and was looking over his shoulder. “What are you looking at?”

Logan looked up at him from his seat on the floor. “I’m just trying to deal with the reports coming in from the coast guard.”

“About the pirates?” Virgil marked his place in his book before giving his full attention to Logan.

“Yes, about those. I’m just having a hard time getting people to believe the pirates were even there to begin with.” They were no longer at the beach near the cliff. This probably accounted for the conflicting reports. People were being lazy and not investigating, simply making something up instead.

Virgil’s hand in his hair brought him back to the here and now. “You’ll figure it out eventually. How about you tell me what the problem is. Sometimes, just going through it out loud helps.”

So, Logan talked about it to Virgil. He talked about the lazy people he had to deal with, about his personal research, about anything that came to mind as Virgil looked at him like he’d hung the moon and stars.

Sometimes, when it was clear that Logan needed the distraction, Virgil would go on about the books he was reading. He’d tell Logan about the interesting parts of the history books, the amazing amount of creatures he’d read about recently. He was always rewarded with a smile and full attention, as he’d succeeded in taking Logan’s mind off work long enough for him to relax. Logan loved when Virgil would seek him out, somehow knowing when he needed the distraction the most.

There were times when they both needed to get outside for some sun. Those were days filled with bird watching, Virgil making up a narrative to explain why the birds were acting a certain way and giving each of them a unique voice. Logan would have to remember to ask him to read a book to him as his voice was incredibly relaxing. Many times, Roman would come over and lay his head on Logan’s leg, occasionally falling asleep to Virgil’s stories but most times he would beg Logan to come and play with him. Unable to resist, Logan would usually acquiesce. He hadn’t even noticed that a month and a half had passed. 

One day, Logan decided he and Virgil could both use a break from the castle. Realizing that he viewed Virgil as his best friend, he decided to take him to his favorite spot in the world: the cliff he’d been going to when he’d first found Virgil. When they got there, Virgil went to admire the view while Logan unloaded the picnic and set it up. He set up his easel and painting supplies close by, wanting to do that after eating. 

Once everything was set up, he went and sat by Virgil. He took a deep breath of the sea air he could never get enough of before speaking. “It’s a nice view.”

Virgil smiled, nodding. “That it is.”

They sat there for a few more minutes. Looking over at Virgil, he had a hunger in his eyes that Logan had seldom seen in many faces. It wasn’t a hunger for food, but more of a hunger for home, for comfort. There was a sadness mixed with the hunger, as if he deeply missed something. Glancing out at the water, he wondered what Virgil saw when he looked at it. He thought about this for a few seconds before slapping his knees and standing, holding his hands out to help Virgil to his feet. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, a little bit.” Virgil responded as they walked over and sat on the blanket. Logan brought up the subject of their last debate and that was all the prompting Virgil needed to pick up where he’d left off. Logan admired the fire in his voice and determination in his eyes as he spoke of a subject he’d obviously been researching recently.

Once the meal was over, Virgil helped Logan pack up the trash and found the book Logan had put in the basket for Virgil to read throughout the afternoon. He went back to the edge to sit and read. Logan was planning on painting the sea again as it was an interesting color today but found his eye drawn to the way Virgil was sitting. No regard for the large drop, fully absorbed in his book, he had one leg dangling over the edge and the other pulled up. His fingers gripped the pages, one arm looping around the drawn up leg, while his eyes danced across the page. He had a faraway look in his eye that told Logan he was lost in the story being spun inside his brain. Grabbing his purple paints, Logan started to mix up something that would match the exact colors of Virgil’s plaid shirt. 

While painting, the thought crossed Logan’s mind that he loved Virgil. He didn’t know where the emotion came from but it was there, sitting in his heart like there was a seat made just for it there. He paused, his brush poised above the paint tray as he tried to pinpoint the exact moment the feeling started. Was it when they’d first met and Logan had felt fiercely protective of him? Was it the first time he’d seen that gorgeous dark purple hair dry and known that it was purple and not black? Was it the first time Virgil had laughed, the hours of debating, the hours of venting and problem solving? Was it the first time he’d heard him narrate a story and known he could get lost in that voice? He found that there was no one instance where he’d fallen in love but rather a slow descent he hadn’t noticed until he was at the bottom looking up. Even so, he didn’t regret the descent in the slightest.

He finished his painting, Virgil hunched over a book framed by the sea and sky behind him, and moved to sit next to its subject. Turning, he smiled and pretended his thoughts weren’t roiling like a sea in a storm. He focused on the main reason he’d brought Virgil here in the first place, deciding to sort through the emotions later. 

“You seem to be healing well.” He said as an opening.

Virgil nodded, eyes focused on the book in his lap, hands fiddling with the bookmark Logan had bought for him. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to leave soon.”

Logan smiled, drawing his gaze back up to him. “Hopefully not too soon. My father and younger brother are coming home. My brother has said he will be bringing a bride back to present to the family. I would like to have you there for that. Would you like to be my plus one?”

Virgil frowned, a line appearing between his eyebrows. “What’s a ‘plus one’?”

“A guest of a guest. I am an invited guest who is allowed to invite another guest.”

“I don’t know what I’d have to wear.”

“I have some of my father’s old suits that might fit you. They’re good quality and you seem to be around the right size for them. If nothing else, we can always commission the royal seamstresses for something. Is that alright with you?” Virgil nodded as they both smiled and enjoyed the sunset before traveling home. Just as on the way there, Virgil’s head was placed between Logan’s shoulder blades. He decided he liked that. 


	12. Found

Virgil normally wouldn’t have ever thought of pestering someone like this but it had been three days and he was getting anxious. So, he found himself outside Logan’s office with his hand poised to knock when the door opened on its own. Logan smiled at him, hand on the knob. “Hello, Virgil. I was actually just going to find you. Did you need something?”

Virgil took a deep breath and nodded. “Do you remember when you said you’d give me anything I ask?”

“After you saved Roman from the lake? Yes, I remember. Have you thought of something you want?” He shifted the papers in his hands to rest on his hip. Virgil was grateful he didn’t mention the mer’s reluctance to take him up on that offer before now. 

“Yes, that. I want to go back into town and find a calcite crystal. I’m sure it holds the key to unlocking my memories. The only other thing I can think of is that the amnesia is a result of some sort of head trauma and I’d need to hit my head in the exact same way in order to regain my memories.”

As he spoke, he felt a pit in his stomach. He didn’t want to leave Logan, didn’t want his time here to fade from his memory like sea foam after a wave. At the same time, he saw a light in Logan’s eyes dim, as if he didn’t want Virgil to leave either. That made him feel a bit better, knowing the feeling was mutual, but he also didn’t like that he’d made Logan sad.

Logan smiled, the look quickly being covered in his usual neutral expression. “Okay. I have some time tomorrow. Maybe we can take Roman with us and give him a reason to get out of the castle. Do you know where we are going, at least the general area?”

Virgil nodded and the excursion was set. The next day, they were off in the car, Roman situated firmly in between them. Just as directed, they started from the other side of the town, Virgil keeping his head on a swivel as he tried to find the shops that were suggested by the store clerk. Over the course of the next four hours, they entered a lot of jewelry stores and other rockhound areas before they found the costume jewelry store Virgil was told about.

As they went through the stores, Virgil couldn’t help but notice that Logan’s eye was drawn again and again to the same type of jewelry: A simple pendant on a leather cord. He filed that information away for later, even as he looked for the stone Remy wanted. He wondered how Logan would react if he told him everything. If he told him he didn’t have amnesia, he was looking for the stone so he could regain his fins and get back to his blessing, how he was actually a mer and not a human at all. How would he react if he told him how he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave anymore, how he wanted to stay with him, how he wanted to court him and be courted by him? Virgil knew it was an unrealistic thought, but he couldn’t help it all the same.

Finally, they found it in the costume jewelry, Virgil having separated from the others in order to build up the courage to ask an attendant. She led him over to a display case that had a label that matched what he was looking for. Still, he couldn’t help but ask questions. 

“Are you sure this is actual calcite and not something that looks like it? It has to be real.”

The attendant, her name tag read Emily, smiled patiently. “Yes, it’s completely real calcite.”

“Does it glow under certain lighting? I was told it would.”

“Yes, it glows under UV lights.”

Virgil nodded, eyes locking back on the [pendant](https://beadage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/calcite-necklace-pink-mangano-macrame.jpg) on display. It had a braided chain of leather attached to the actual pendant, the braid wrapping around the stone with a connector in between. Head shooting up, he searched the store for Logan, just barely able to see his head above the stands. 

“I think I found it, Pebble!” The term of endearment slipped out and he bit his lip, hoping no one noticed. 

Logan didn’t comment on it, simply walking over to view the object Virgil was quick to point at before nodding. “That does look like it. Does it make you think of anything in particular?” His gaze was intense as he looked at Virgil.

He dodged it by looking back down. “I don’t know.”

A hand came to rest on his lower back, causing him to look back up at Logan, who spoke, his voice tender. “Do you want to buy it?”

Virgil smiled, nodding. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

✴ ✴ ✴

Logan didn’t know if it was the vulnerable look in Virgil’s eye, a hesitance mixed with confidence, or if it was something else, but he knew he would do anything for him if needed. He’d always heard the age old adage of ‘if your friends jump off a bridge, would you do it too’ but, in that moment, he knew he would indeed jump off that bridge for Virgil if needed. 

As they exited the store, Logan spotted a different one just down the street and smiled, putting his hand on Virgil’s shoulder to get his attention. “I know we discussed letting you borrow one of my father’s suits for the party, but would you be adverse to getting a tailor made one instead?” He nodded his head in the direction of the store he’d spotted.

Virgil’s smile was tight-lipped, as if he were tired. “That’ll be fine if it’s what you want.” He started toward it but Logan stopped him.

“I want you to tell me if you want it or not. You have the right to choose.” He tried to discreetly look him over, to make sure he was fine.

Roman tugged on Virgil’s sleeve, getting his attention. Virgil dropped down to one knee in order to be at Roman’s height. “Yeah, buddy?” He held the boy’s hand as his whole attention focused on him.

“You don’t have to go along with us just because we’re the ones using the money. You can say no, you know.” Roman’s eyes were wide and sincere. 

Virgil laughed, rustling his hair. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He stood and Logan looked askance at him, desperately wanting to know what was going on behind those stormy gray eyes. “Yeah, getting a new suit would be the less time consuming option.” He frowned. “But wouldn’t it be a waste if I were only to use it once before I left?”

Logan’s mood fell at the mention of Virgil’s departure now that his injuries were almost completely healed. Before he could say anything, Roman beat him to it. “You could take it with you.”

Virgil smiled again, a faraway look entering his eyes. “I could, that’s right.” So, they walked into the suit store, Logan wondering if he should confess during the party at the end of the week. Should he let Virgil know he didn’t care about his past, didn’t care about who he was before? All Logan knew was who he was now, and that was a pretty good person. Before he could think on it further, he was drawn into a conversation with the tailor.

✴ ✴ ✴

He pulled his head back from around the corner, face morphing into another’s as he did so. Smirking, he started to walk down the street, his cane swinging by his side. So, they were having a party in a few days, were they? That would be the perfect time to strike, he thought, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. He twirled the cane as he jauntily walked down the street, so joyful he could whistle a tune. The prince was finally so close he could practically taste him. Janus smiled as he turned the corner. This would be easier than scaring a baby.


	13. Homecoming

[Ambiance/soundtrack](http://tabletopaudio.com/index.html?175) for the chapter!

Logan straightened his tie before he knocked on Virgil’s door. “Virgil? Are you ready?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute!” Virgil’s voice carried through the door.

Rustling was heard before the door opened, Virgil stepping out. Logan couldn’t help the small gasp he let slip as he caught sight of what Virgil was wearing. A dove gray dress shirt that perfectly matched his eyes was worn under a muted pink jacket that was stunning. His white pants helped brighten the whole thing up, making him look spectacular. His bangs were swept to the side, allowing his eyes to be on full display, but the rest of his hair was still messy, giving him just enough of a wild look to still look like the person Logan met on that hill all those months ago.

Logan’s smile was permanently fixed on his face as he offered his arm to Virgil. “Shall we?”

Virgil nodded, looping his arm through Logan’s. “Yes, we shall.” He seemed nervous but Logan simply attributed that to being seen in public with him for the first time.

The weight of the crown on his head reminded him of just how important this party was and his part to play in it all. He had to make sure they were both on their best behavior to keep a favorable image in the public eye.

Virgil’s squeeze on his arm brought him back to reality just as they made it to the stairs. Virgil leaned into him just the slightest bit. “Everything will be fine, stop worrying so much.”

Logan chuckled, adjusting his tie again. “Was I that obvious?”

“You have your tells. I also know how big of an event this is for you and guessed.”

Logan could have kissed him right then and there, the only thing stopping him was his plan for the night. Instead, he took a deep breath and patted Virgil’s arm before descending the stairs with him. Thomas met them at the bottom. “Have you seen Roman?” His face was pinched in a worry that was all too common nowadays for Logan’s liking.

Virgil smiled, reaching his unoccupied hand to touch Thomas’ shoulder. “Patton put him to bed already, he should be fine.”

Thomas relaxed, a grin spreading across his face, no doubt at the thought of a childless evening. “That’s good.” His expression brightened even more. “Virgil! Do you want to go meet my father and youngest brother?”

Virgil nodded. “Sure, that sounds like fun.” A distant look that Logan was unable to interpret came over his features but it was quickly smoothed out into a polite smile.

The three men wove through the crowd and soon arrived in the gardens. They found themselves by a fountain in the courtyard. Standing nearby was another set of three people, two males and one female. The males were easily recognizable as Logan’s father and younger brother. The woman was harder to figure out but Logan had been told Orville had brought a bride home so that was most likely her.

Orville was wearing a burnt orange suit that fit nicely with his newer tanned complexion and complimented his bride-to-be’s crème dress. He turned when he noticed the others standing there, a large easy smile spreading on his face as he came over to hug Thomas. Logan released Virgil’s arm and braced for a hug, knowing Orville would never learn his own strength.

Virgil seemed to tense for his own hug when Logan was released but Orville held out a hand for a shake instead. Virgil still looked hesitantly at Logan before taking the hand in his own and shaking it once before dropping it. Orville’s smile didn’t waver. “It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was soft and polite, the complete opposite of the rambunctious child of their youth.

Virgil didn’t seem to be as intimidated anymore, knowing Logan’s giant of a brother was no better than a sentient teddy bear. After the initial introduction, the pair struck up a conversation on the history of the lands. Logan was glad Virgil finally got a chance to talk about the subject he’d been researching like his life depended on it for the past few months.

Logan let them talk as he turned to see Thomas staring at him. Logan lifted an eyebrow. “Can I help you?” He asked in a monotone voice.

Thomas nodded his head to the side, a clear indication he wanted Logan to follow. The pair walked over to the refreshments table and grabbed some small sandwiches. Logan went ahead and picked up some things for Virgil, knowing his tendency to steal off other people’s plates. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Thomas sighed. “You’re clearly head over heels for him.”

Logan bristled defensively. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Thomas didn’t say anything and instead gave him a knowing look. Logan eventually couldn’t take it, having his older brother look deep into his soul and pull all his secrets up. He groaned, setting the plates down and hanging his head slightly, leaning against the table. “Is it that obvious?”

Thomas only chuckled. “To those who love you, yes.”

Logan looked up at him. “Any ideas?”

“You could try telling him how you feel.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m no good with feelings, you know that.”

“Worth a shot.” Thomas shrugged as he leaned against the wall near the table, thinking for a few minutes. “How about you just ask to kiss him?”

Logan’s head snapped around to look at him. “What?! And get accused of trying to assault him? No thanks!”

Thomas laughed again. “That’s why you ask! He gets the idea and can turn you down if it’s a no. But if it’s a yes, problem solved!”

Logan nodded, seeing the logic in that. “Okay, I can do that.”

“Good, I’ll make sure to know when you two duck out.”

Logan noticed Orville was back with his bride, he really needed to learn her name, so walked back over to Virgil. Handing him the plate, he said, “Make sure to eat.”

Virgil stayed close to him through the first half of the party. His face was always in a neutral mask unless speaking with someone he knew, then it was animated and lively. Occasionally, Logan saw through that to the quickly tiring individual underneath, noting that Virgil didn’t seem to be cut out for large parties like this.

Toward the middle of the night, Virgil tugged on Logan’s sleeve to get his attention. Finally, both masks were dropped, leaving an exhausted man in their place. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere?”

Logan nodded, thinking he was going to his room for some alone time and half wishing he could join him. “Okay. I’ll be here when you get back.”

He watched him walk away before turning back to his conversation. A minute or two passed before Virgil was back at his side, sliding his arm into Logan’s. Logan was slightly startled, thinking Virgil was going to need a few more minutes to recharge his social meter. When Virgil just laid his head on Logan’s, he couldn’t help but melt internally.

His conversation ended and he looked at Virgil. “Do you want to go somewhere quiet?” He asked softly.

Virgil nodded, still not speaking. They walked off, behind the hedges into a more secluded spot. Virgil sat on the bench nearby while Logan paced. He came to a stop in front of the bench after a few rounds. “May I kiss you?” He finally blurted.

Virgil looked surprised but it was quickly changed to something Logan had never seen on his face. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” He replied.

Logan took a few steps forward, lifting Virgil to his feet by his hand. Just as he leaned in, he heard something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a familiar salmon suit retreating at a quick pace. He stumbled back, confused. He looked between the person before him and the empty space behind him. “What’s going on?”

The Virgil standing in front of him smiled in a way Virgil never did. “I don’t know what you’re so freaked out about, Logan. I’m standing right here. The person who walked off must have been someone with a similarly colored outfit.”

While he was talking, Logan began to notice discrepancies. His suit was too bright, his shirt was too dark. He didn’t hold himself like Virgil did, he was shorter than Virgil. Now that he focused on him, his left eye wasn’t the same shade of gray as his right. Even the speech pattern was different, Virgil would never have said Logan was ‘freaked out’. Logan scrambled to the side. “No, you’re not Virgil.”

The being laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, Logan, whatever do you mean?”

Logan didn’t give him an answer, instead running in the same direction Virgil had. He didn’t notice when his crown tumbled from his head, nor when the being picked it up.


	14. Enter Janus

[ Chapter Soundtrack ](http://tabletopaudio.com/index.html?175)

It was a simple thing to get into the party. The guest list was clearly made last minute so Janus simply pretended to be a nobleman that wasn’t on it. He acted slighted and hurt, saying that he would go tell the king if they didn’t let him in and that it was quite the simple matter to get the guards fired for incompetence. He swept into the garden just as his prey came down the stairs. His smile turned cold, almost calculating as he took up station near the refreshments table.

He had to admit, the party was nicely decorated. Whoever did it obviously knew what they were doing as it was tasteful with just the barest hint of gaudy. His eyes wandered back to the middle prince and the toy on his arm. The prince stepped away, followed by the crown prince, and made his way over to the refreshments table. Janus pretended to busy himself with gathering a small plate for himself while he listened in on their conversation.

Logan grabbed two plates and started filling them. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

The crown prince sighed. “You’re clearly head over heels for him.”

Logan’s back straightened. “I don’t know what you mean.” His tone sounded defensive.

The crown prince didn’t say anything, instead giving him a look that probably meant something. Logan stared him down for a few seconds before groaning, setting the plates down and hanging his head slightly. “Is it that obvious?”

The crown prince chuckled. “To those who love you, yes.”

Logan looked at him. “Any ideas?”

“You could try telling him how you feel.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m no good with feelings, you know that.”

“Worth a shot.” The crown prince shrugged and leaned against the wall near the table, his face thoughtful. “How about you just ask to kiss him?”

Logan’s head whipped up, his expression one of shock. “What?! And get accused of trying to assault him? No thanks!”

The crown prince laughed again, clearly enjoying the conversation. “That’s why you  _ ask _ ! He gets the idea and can turn you down if it’s a no. But if it’s a yes, problem solved!”

Logan nodded. “Okay, I can do that.”

“Good, I’ll make sure to know when you two duck out.”

His smile grew as they spoke, a plan formulating in his mind the longer the brothers talked. Finally, he walked away and sat down to eat and plot. The food was good but didn’t fill him up so he eventually pushed it away, instead allowing his eyes to roam back to the one food he did want: the middle prince, Logan. His was a soul that was light and pure with just a tinge of darkness around the edges, the perfect meal.

He’d wanted that meal since the first time he’d arrived in the area. He’d seen Logan walking along the coast the first day he’d gotten there. Seeing what that soul looked like, he couldn’t help but want it.

He trailed the couple, staying close enough to hear their conversations but far enough that he wouldn’t be drawn into them himself. When the prince’s arm candy said something Janus didn’t catch and walked away, Janus saw his chance. He watched the man walk up the stairs and enter the building before casually walking around a shrub and shifting his form to match the unusually tall man who just left.

He wandered out from behind the bushes, coming to stand by Logan. He slipped his arm around the other’s, leaning his head atop the middle prince’s, pretending to be tired. The prince seemed to have bought it as he patted Janus’ hand and continued on with his conversation.

When the conversation ended, Logan’s voice dropped in volume, changing from a polite tone to a softer one, full of love. “Do you want to go somewhere quiet?”

Janus internally rejoiced at the ease with which his plan was pulling itself off. It was almost too perfect, he didn’t even have to try while the prince practically fell into his lap. Externally, he nodded but didn’t speak to keep up the tired façade. They walked off, Logan keeping Janus tucked close, as if he would fall over without the support. Part of Janus’ brain wondered how often that had happened with the man he was impersonating. They wandered through a small hedge maze, coming to a stop at a secluded area with a bench.

Janus went ahead and sat, tilting his head back just a bit to still look tired. Logan didn’t sit down right away, instead pacing. He looked like he was gathering courage and if the conversation Janus had heard earlier was anything to go off, he probably was.

Abruptly, the prince came to a stop in front of the bench. “May I kiss you?” He asked in one breath.

Janus allowed a surprised expression to cross his borrowed face before it turned into his usual joyful one, practically able to feel the trap snap closed around the unsuspecting prince. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” He all but purred in reply.

Logan stepped closer, taking Janus’ hands to help him to his feet. The prince leaned in and Janus prepared to have the best meal of his life. Before their lips could touch, before Janus could suck that pearly white soul right out his mouth, he noticed the man from earlier. His expression conveyed shock before tears gathered in his eyes and he took off back the way he’d come. Logan opened his eyes at the sound of the retreating footsteps, pulling back in time to see him go.

He took steps back, clearly unsteady on his feet. “What’s going on?” His eyes traveled from the empty entrance to Janus, who still looked like the man’s date to the party.

Taking advantage of the face he was still wearing, Janus attempted a comforting smile. Based on the prince’s reaction, it clearly came off more sinister than he wanted. “I don’t know what you’re so freaked out about, Logan. I’m standing right here. The person who walked off must have been someone with a similarly colored outfit.”

He could feel the man’s eyes on him, sizing him up and comparing him to the original. Logan took steps to the side that were less than steady. “No, you’re not Virgil.”

Janus laughed, shaking his head as he was tempted to drop the facial disguise. As it was, he could feel the eyes slipping back into his usual brown and gold. “Oh, Logan, whatever do you mean?”

His efforts were for naught as Logan didn’t answer. He ran out, following the other’s path, his crown slipping from his head. Janus didn’t try to pursue them, much preferring stealth to brute strength. He picked the crown up and put it in his lap as he sat back down on the bench, plotting.

An idea came to him that was risky, but bold. If he could pull it off, he might just get more than what he set out for. With his decision made up, he leaned back, closing his eyes as he thought of what the prince looked like. Slowly, he could feel the façade settle over him like too tight clothes, reminding him he no longer looked like the person he’d have to learn the name of, instead he looked like the second born prince. He opened his now blue eyes, settled the crown onto his head, and walked out to perform the best con job of his life.


	15. Heartbreak

[Soundtrack](http://tabletopaudio.com/index.html?175) for the chapter!

Virgil was fiddling with the calcite stone when he heard a knock on the door, quickly dropping it into an open drawer that he slammed shut. Logan’s voice rang out soon after. “Virgil? Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” he called back as he rushed to button his suit jacket, “just give me a minute!” He moved to the door, fingers latching the last button before he opened the door and stepped out.

His eyes scanned Logan’s frame, admiring the man he’d known for three turns of the moon. Logan’s eyes were standing out brightly in contrast to his ever present leather jacket and black hair, which was slicked back. His dress shirt was only a shade darker than his eyes and helped them stand out. His tie was the muted purple of a sunset and looked like the softest material on land. His pants were a dark purple that matched the tie and he had on an official looking crown. It looked different than the one’s his own family used but that might have been because Logan’s was made of metal instead of the dead coral that he had.

Logan’s eyes scanned him in the same way, his eyes sparkling the way they did when he saw a particularly rare star. He smiled, offering his arm for Virgil. “Shall we?”

Virgil nodded, his arm looping through Logan’s. “Yes, we shall.” His thoughts drifted to wondering if this was the last time he’d be able to see Logan, the last time he’d be this close to him. His voice shook with nerves at that, clutching Logan’s arm just the slightest bit tighter as they got to the stairs. Logan didn’t seem to notice.

Looking down into his face, Virgil could tell Logan’s thoughts were somewhere besides right there in that moment. He leaned into him a bit, hoping to bring his mind back to the party, let him enjoy one last night before he left. “Everything will be fine, stop worrying so much.” His words were both for Logan and for himself, whose thoughts were still with the necklace in the drawer.

Logan chuckled, his hand straightening and tightening his tie. “Was I that obvious?” There was a humor in his voice that Virgil strove to match.

“You have your tells. I also know how big of an event this is for you and guessed.”

Logan’s eyes lit up at that, softening into something Virgil had no name for. The human took a deep breath, patting Virgil’s arm in his before they both started down the stairs. Virgil had to concentrate to stay upright as it was harder to go downstairs with someone attached to him. Thus, he didn’t notice Thomas waiting for them until he met them at the bottom. “Have you seen Roman?” Thomas asked, his brow furrowing.

Virgil smiled and rested his free hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “Patton put him to bed already, he should be fine.” His smile grew effortless as he thought of the pair bumping into him in the hallway, letting him get to say one last goodnight to the rambunctious child and faithful manservant.

Thomas’ face split into a grin as tension left his shoulders. “That’s good.” His grin widened as his eyes brightened. “Virgil! Do you want to go meet my father and youngest brother?”

Virgil nodded, hearing the excitement in his voice. “Sure, that sounds like fun.” He briefly thought about how many people were going to be at the party and knew he was going to get tired quickly but put on a polite smile instead.

The three men wove through the crowd and soon arrived in the gardens. They found themselves by a fountain in the courtyard. Standing nearby was another set of three people, two males and one female. The males were most likely Logan’s father and younger brother, leaving the woman standing near the younger man to be Logan’s soon to be sister-in-law.

Logan’s brother was wearing a muted orange suit that looked nice against his skin and went well with the woman’s caramel color dress. He turned when he noticed the other three standing there, a large smile spreading across his face. He came over and hugged Thomas, lifting him off his feet slightly. Logan let Virgil’s arm drop as he planted himself, getting ready for the same treatment.

Virgil tensed without meaning too, waiting to feel air under his feet instead of ground or, even better, water. Instead, when the man released Logan, he put a hand out for a shake instead. Virgil glanced at Logan, wondering if the humans had different customs when it came to handshakes. Seeing an encouraging look in his eyes, Virgil went ahead and shook Orville’s hand once, a firm, strong mer shake, before dropping it. 

Orville didn’t look deterred in the slightest, looking like he enjoyed the shake. “It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was soft and polite. He didn’t know how it started, but soon he was wrapped up in a conversation about the history of the kingdom. He got excited so started fiddling with the bracelet he had around his wrist. Orville’s bride, who he introduced as Dorothy Winston, asked about the bracelet and the conversation steered to jewelry and the process of making it. 

He hadn’t noticed Logan was gone until he showed up at his side and handed him a plate of food. “Make sure to eat.” They talked for a bit more as Virgil ate, comparing tricks and history facts.

Through the first half of the party, Virgil stayed close to Logan’s side. He wanted to have as much time with him as he could, wanted to capture this moment in his memory for eternity. He could feel himself getting tired, so used to getting to sleep at the same time each night. Glancing at the clock, he found that it was a half hour to midnight. He’d been planning to take the calcite and go to the cliff alone but maybe he could take Logan with him and tell him there.

With that thought in mind, he tugged on Logan’s sleeve to get his attention. He let his face change from the carefully kept mask of someone who enjoyed parties to his real face, the one of a very tired mer. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere?”

Logan nodded. “Okay. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Virgil smiled, walking off and back into the building. He took his time walking up the stairs and to his room, grabbing the necklace out of the drawer and slipping it into his pocket. Scanning the room, he looked for anything else he wanted to take with him. 

All he found were things he’d have to leave behind. He saw the bookmark Logan had bought him tucked into the book he’d been reading just a few hours ago. He saw his beanie lying over the dresser, the little things about the room that made it lived in and cozy. He checked the bathroom, knowing that, one way or another, this would be the last time he’ll see it.

He made his way back to the garden, trying to find the exact spot he’d left Logan but couldn’t find the prince in sight. Turning, he found Thomas standing nearby. “Thomas, have you seen Logan? He told me he would wait for me here.”

Thomas pointed over his shoulder to a maze of hedges. “He went that way with someone.”

Virgil thanked him, thinking it had to deal with the pirates. He followed the simple path, soon coming upon a clearing. Logan had his back to him, facing the other person who Virgil couldn’t properly see. He was about to let Logan know he was there when Logan spoke, his voice coming out at above it’s normal volume. “May I kiss you?”

Virgil didn’t hear the reply but it must have been a positive one as Logan stepped forward and pulled the other person to their feet, pulling them in for a kiss. Virgil made a noise that was somewhere between a gasp and sob as he felt tears sting his eyes. He turned, having seen enough, and ran.


	16. The Truth Comes Out

Virgil ran. Faster than he thought he could, faster than he’d run when being chased by pirates, faster than when Roman had fallen into the lake. He didn’t know where he was going, only that it was away from there, away from what he’d seen, from what Logan had done. When he finally stopped for breath, lying on the grass panting, he found himself on the cliff.

A low chuckle sounded from the side and he turned his head to find Remy standing there, drink in hand. “What happened to _you_ , sweetcheeks?”

Virgil didn’t answer immediately, instead standing and moving to the edge of the cliff, sitting down. “I think part of my world ended today.” He answered after a period of silence.

“Oof. You wanna talk about it?” Remy sat beside him.

Virgil shrugged. “What’s there to talk about?”

Remy tiled their sunglasses down at him. “Really? You just said something really important to you was taken from you but you don’t want to talk about it? Try that again.”

Virgil sighed, feeling tears prick his eyes. “I thought he was the one, you know? I thought I was gonna tell him everything tonight, I thought I was going to bring him up here and tell him who and what I am, tell him I don’t actually have amnesia but an annoying unspecified creature breathing down my neck.” He ignored Remy’s offended gasp. “I thought tonight was going to be perfect, to be everything I ever wanted. You know,” he turned his gaze from the ocean to Remy, “I thought we had a real connection. I thought I had finally found someone to love me for my personality,” he looked down at his hands, now twisting around the necklace chain. Vaguely, he watched his legs turn into a tail, his pants splitting open to allow the shift to occur. “Turns out it was all a lie.” He saw more than felt the tears fall, watched them drip off his cheeks and land on the fabric of the suit Logan had bought just for him.

Remy tilted their head. “What happened?” Their voce was unusually soft.

Virgil felt his shoulders shake in a sob as he remembered what he’d seen. “He kissed someone else. I went to grab this,” he waved the necklace around, “with the intention of bringing him, well, here, and telling him everything. I was going to ask you to give me legs permanently so I could live here with him. Just as I got back to him, he asked someone else if he could kiss them. I saw them kiss before I ran off.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I feel like such a fool.”

Remy awkwardly patted him on the back. “Yeah, that’s rough.” They sat in silence for a few minutes before Remy looked down at Virgil’s hands and gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”

Virgil nodded. “It’s your calcite crystal.” He held it out to them without moving his head.

Remy smiled and picked it up. “Thank you, your highness.”

Virgil almost winced, not being used to the title after going a whole season without hearing it. “How do you know my title?”

Remy rolled their eyes. “Seriously, Virgil Strand? I’m pretty sure everyone knows about the royal mer fins and you gave me a pretty good look at them in your little tank. Or did you forget how we met?”

“Okay, that’s fair. I guess I just didn’t expect you to be the type to use it.” He carefully peeled off his suit jacket and undid the tie, folding them neatly and putting them to the side. “Well, Remy, I guess I’m ready to be returned to the sea.” He looked out at the water, eyes almost glazed over as he thought about what he was leaving behind and what he was going back to. His heart hurt when he thought about leaving the human royal household.

Remy stood, slipping the necklace over their head. “I can do you one better.” Virgil looked up at them, a silent question on his face. “You say a part of your world died tonight. So, I’m giving it back.” They waved a hand and the stone glowed while Virgil felt the dust-like magic settle over him. “You are now able to swap between legs and a tail at will. All you need to do is think or say, ‘I want legs’ or ‘I want a tail’.”

Virgil smiled, feeling a bit better. “I think I’ll stick with the tail for now.” He glanced at the waters below, knowing his blessing was close.

Remy nodded, strangely solemn. “Thank you for the help. I hope you find your family in good health. Or, if you aren’t going back just yet, I hope you find peace. I know it can be difficult to lose something precious.”

Virgil smiled as Remy took their leave, walking away and leaving behind the smell of pumpkin. He was just slipping off the cliff when a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist, suspending him in the air as he looked into the eyes of a person he thought he’d never see again.

✴ ✴ ✴

Logan ran after Virgil. As the other man’s legs were longer, Virgil quickly pulled ahead and Logan soon lost sight of him. That didn’t bother him as he had figured Virgil would be going to the cliff based on the direction he ran. Sure enough, Logan could see Virgil in the distance as he slowed in an attempt to catch his breath. He could hear Virgil talking but didn’t hear the replies from the person beside him. 

“Well, Remy, I’m ready to be returned to the sea.” Virgil said as he took off his suit jacket and tie.

Logan saw the other person stand and put something around their neck before they waved their hand. Logan didn’t see a difference and couldn’t hear the conversation after that. He’d been about halfway across the cliff when the stranger with Virgil began walking away. He sped up when he saw that and really kicked it into high gear when he saw Virgil push himself off the cliff.

Logan surged forward frantically, falling onto his front with just enough time to grab Virgil’s wrist.


	17. So Close but So Far From Home

Virgil froze at the sight of Logan above him, his hair tousled and jostled by the wind that was picking it up and messing the perfectly styled strands from earlier. His body went limp at the way Logan’s eyes were locked on his tail. Virgil slipped through Logan’s hold and, even though the prince tried to reach out and catch him, he fell.

The water hit his back much sooner than he thought it would, pooling around his sides and cradling him. Slowly, the water lowered him down until he was fully engulfed, his vision blurring before clearing. He felt little tendrils of current around his sides, the water’s version of greeting him. He laughed, twirling, his cares briefly forgotten for the joys of having his tail and being unrestrained in water for the first time in four moons.

He swam, as fast and as far and as deep as he could. Taking in the feeling of it, of using those muscles for what they were meant to be used for, loving the feeling of the cold current hitting him in the face as he fought against it, the water playing with him as a greeting and a way of telling him he was missed. Virgil swam with abandon. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the next curve, the next dip, the next unexpected current blasting him in the side that was completely expected from how many times he’d swam this path. Behind him were his troubles, the anxiety of having to hide a secret, the pain of his lungs drying out when he overexerted himself, the fear of Logan rejecting him, and the want to get back home.

Now, all he has to worry about is getting home, back to his bed of seaweed and sea moss, back to the clam shell he could pull down and hide from the world in, back to his family. So, he pushed himself as fast as he could, testing out his muscles and the healed wounds, really trying to find his limit. Eventually, the currents turned him toward home and he swam into the mer equivalent of a courtyard.

He looked up at the castle that housed the royalty of their blessing. Swimming up, he bypassed the hallways and servants, going directly to the window he knew was his. A wistful smile crossed his face as he thought of how hard this would be if he were on land, causing his mind to be distracted when he entered.

“Ripple?”

He snapped back to his current surroundings to find the only mer to ever call him that and fifth in line for the mer throne, his sibling Elliott, sitting on his bed. “Elliott?”

“Virgil!” Elliott launched themself off the bed, their black tail swirling as they collided with Virgil and sent them both spinning into the water outside the window. When they both calmed down, Elliott guided Virgil back inside and sat him on the bed. “I want to know everything. Where have you been for the past four moons, why do you look so sad, how are you?”

Virgil couldn’t help but laugh. “Calm down, one question at a time.” He flopped back onto the bed, his back sinking into the seaweed and sea moss that comprised the mattress. Strangely, he missed the bed back in the human castle. He was home but he’d never felt further from home in that one instance, his heart longing for something, and someone, he didn’t want to name. “To answer every one of your questions would take too long.”

Elliott sat beside him. “Then how about just one, you absent-minded guppy. How are you?”

Virgil curled into their side, tail wrapping around Elliot’s. “I’m tired.”

“Emotionally, mentally, or physically?”

His tail and muscles ached from the now unusual exercise that trip was when it used to be just an afternoon trip. “All of the above.” Virgil shifted so his head was in Elliott’s lab, nuzzling into their midsection in a way that told them he wanted his hair pet. They obliged, nails scratching his scalp as his hair was brushed between their fingers.

Virgil was overcome with the sense of finality, of his time on land being over. He felt tears leak from his eyes, joining in the water. With his face hidden from Elliott, he doubted they even knew he was crying. When the tears slowed, he spoke again. “Do you believe emotional wounds can heal?”

Elliott’s hand paused in it’s journey through his hair. “With time, and a little work, yes. Do you want to talk about it?”

Virgil shook his head. “No, I’ll just beat Andy at racing tomorrow to lighten my mood.”

Elliott laughed. “That’s not the healthiest way to deal with exhaustion, you know.”

Virgil shrugged. “How would you suggest I handle it?”

“To truly give substantial advice, I’d have to know the full story.”

Virgil groaned and rolled onto his back, the top of his head butting into Elliott’s side. “It’s a long one that covers the full four moons I was gone.”

Elliott looked around the room, pretending to check the position of the sun coming in through the window. There wasn’t any sunlight, only the blue glow from the lanterns. “It looks like we’ve got all the time in the world.”

Virgil let out a giggle at that and Elliott smiled. “Okay, I’ll tell you.” He shifted to lay closer to the head of the bed tugging Elliott into a horizontal position as well. “Do you promise not to interrupt?”

Elliott nodded. “Cross my heart and hope to be stung by a jelly.”

“Okay, it all started when I went to visit that cliff again.”

“You promised me you’d stop doing that!”

Virgil grabbed a loose clump of sea moss and tossed it at his sibling, watching as the plant floated gently against their face. “And you promised you wouldn’t interrupt!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Virgil started his story again and got through it with limited interruptions that, to Elliott’s credit, were mainly when they didn’t understand something.  When he was done with his tale, he waited for his sibling’s response.

Elliott sighed. “I can’t tell you how to live your life, Virgil, but I can tell you that it sounds like you’ve got it bad for this human.” To their credit, they didn’t say  _ human _ like most mer would, with disdain or even anger. Instead, they said it like it was a perfectly normal word. Virgil was grateful for that. “If you want to pursue a relationship with him, you’d have to talk some things over like proper adults but I don’t see why you can’t at least talk to him again.”

Virgil shook his head. “I still love him, I know that. I also know that I saw him kiss someone else after spending moons by my side. I can’t help but wonder if his company was out of pity or if he truly cared for me. If he did care for me, was it as a lover, or as a friend?”

“Oh, Ripple.” Elliott rolled over, cradling Virgil close. “You’ll figure it out in time. Meanwhile, is there anything you want to focus on? Maybe give your mind a break from him?”

Virgil’s eyes wandered around the room, lingering on the chests lining the walls that contained his collections of sea glass, fishing wire, and smooth shells. H e had an idea wiggling it’s way around his brain but he knew it was going to be a bad one. “Elliott,” he began slowly as his eyes stayed trained on the chests, “I’m going to say something that’s going to sound crazy.”

Elliott laughed, sounding like they were almost asleep. “You just told me you had  _ legs _ for four moons, how much crazier could you get?”

“I want to make Logan a Necklace as a way of getting over him.”

Elliott sat up. “What?!” They no longer sounded half way to sleep.

Virgil shrugged. “It could work.”

“Are you sure? The act of making a Necklace is extremely personal and should not be taken lightly.”

Virgil nodded. “I’m sure. I’m hoping it will help me let him go as I think of all the reasons I love him and put them into the Necklace.”

Elliott sighed but laid back down, snuggling into Virgil’s back. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Virgil rubbed his sibling’s hand in thought, hearing their breathing even out behind him. “I hope so too.” He whispered to the night.


	18. A Bargain and A Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Best read while listening to The Other Side from The Greatest Showman.

Logan’s eyes searched the water, desperate to see any signs of Virgil. His mind couldn't quite wrap itself around the love of his life having a tail but he was willing to take it in stride. He leaned just a bit farther, head moving up to scan the water farther out to see if he could spot Virgil there.

On his next lean, he almost fell off the edge but a hand caught the back of his jacket. A laugh sounded as he was pulled safely away from the edge. “Relax, he’ll be fine.” The laughing voice said.

Logan turned to look at the entity who had been speaking with Virgil just a few minutes ago and frowned. “How do you know this? How can you possibly know he’ll be fine?” He felt frantic, out of his element and exposed in a way he hadn't felt in a while.

“I just know, babes. Trust me on this.”

Logan shook his head, shrugging out of his jacket and ignoring the cold wind coming off the water. “I don’t know you at all. I just need to find Virgil and we can talk this out.” He stepped to the edge again and prepared to jump in after him.

The entity’s hand came around again, stopping him in his tracks. “I can help you find Virgil.” They paused and the pendant hanging from their neck, the amulet he’d helped Virgil find, glowed slightly. “For a price, of course.”

Logan backed away from the edge, eyeing the entity that he had no knowledge of. “What’s the price?” It was extremely rare to find something in this world that didn’t come with a price, the question was if it was worth the reward. He knew in that moment that he would pay anything, give anything, to have Virgil by his side again.

“I want the ban on my entrance to the nearby town lifted in exchange for helping you.”

Logan squinted. “What did you do to get banned?”

The entity waved a hand. “That’s not important right now.”

Logan crossed his arms. “And what will I get in return?”

“My goodness, you two really are meant for each other.”

Logan frowned. “Does this mean you’ve had dealings with Virgil in the past?” He vaguely gestured to the pendant.

The entity laughed, clearly amused. “Of course, who do you think gave him legs?”

Logan’s eyes widened. Previously, he’d thought this being had just turned Virgil’s legs into a tail after snatching the pendant. “Wait! I’m going to need the full story.”

The entity shook their head. “No can do, not my story to tell.” They inspected their nails. “If you want the full story, you’re going to need to find the little mer boy.”

Logan had a lot to process but he knew he could do that once he’d found Virgil. So, he nodded. “Okay, consider the ban lifted.” As of five hours ago, all authority to do that had transferred back to his father so Logan wasn’t capable of making that deal. Not that the entity before him needed to know that.

The entity smiled, the pendant glowing as they waved a hand. Logan felt something similar to pollen settle over his form. “What did you do?” He asked.

“I gave you the physiology of a mer, activated upon contact with water. I’ve learned from my dealings with your tricky little lover-”

“He’s not my-” Logan tried to protest.

The entity paused. “But you wish he was?”

Logan felt heat creep up his cheeks which seemed to be all the answer the entity needed to pick up as if they hadn’t been interrupted at all. “So you only have three days to find him and return to land. Otherwise, you’ll no longer be able to breathe water and you are most likely going to drown.” They seemed completely unbothered by this revelation.

Logan nodded, picking up his jacket and grabbing the pen and notepad he always kept in it’s pocket. He scribbled out a quick note to let his family know he’d gone after Virgil and not to worry over them. He stuck both the note and the jacket under a rock where they wouldn’t be blown away but would easily be found.

That done, he moved back to the edge of the cliff and prepared to dive off. The entity’s hand came around again and stopped him from jumping. Logan growled low in his throat, getting tired of this game. “What now?” His voice came out impatient as he reached the edge of his limit.

The entity didn’t seem bothered by his shortened temper, likely knowing it was due to exhaustion and worry. “It’s best for you to go down to the nearby beach where you were found before. It’ll be easier to transition in the shallows before moving to the deeper waters.”

Logan couldn’t argue with that logic so moved away from the edge and down the rough path that wound from the top of the cliff to the base. All the way down, his thoughts were on Virgil. He wondered what else he’d been hiding from him, if he’d been working with this entity the whole time, if anything was true. He didn’t know what was real or what was fake and it hurt. He could feel an ache in his chest that wouldn’t go away.

They got to the bottom and Logan looked to the entity. “Should I remove my pants for this?”

They pulled their sunglasses down just enough to look over them at him. “Unless you wish for them to get damaged beyond repair.”

Logan nodded and quickly stripped before wading in. His legs tingled as the water hit his waist and he watched in fascination as the legs fused together with his feet pointing outward, forming the flukes. He watched the scales start at his toes, dip into the heels with the median notch, and crawl up the tail. These were an indigo color as opposed to Virgil’s more purple scales. As the scales crept up his waist, two translucent fins sprouted from his sides. He let his fingers run over them, feeling the texture and wondering what purpose they served.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the entity raise an eyebrow but they said nothing. Logan was floating at this time so turned to face them head on. “What’s that look for?”

They shook their head, moving the sunglasses back up. “Nothing at all, your highness.”

Logan pursed his lips but kept silent, choosing to nod instead. He didn’t say goodbye but simply swam off.


	19. A Long Overdue Talk

Virgil woke the next morning curled around Elliott, who was trying to get out of bed. Virgil gave a soft groan before untangling their tails and rolling over. “Five more minutes.”

Elliott laughed. “Looks like someone got used to sleeping in.”

Virgil sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and floating slightly before sinking back down into the natural bed. “What time is it?”

“Just past nine.”

Virgil nodded, and moved to grab a fresh covering from the closet. He opened his jewelry box for the first time in a few moons and decided to go all out. He was home, he was royalty, and he wanted to show it. Before he slid the first armband on, his eyes caught on the bracelet Roman had given him. His smile was tinged with sadness at the edges but he kept it on, brushing his thumb over it. “Thank you.” He whispered.

“What was that?” Elliott asked as they turned back around.

Virgil shrugged. “Nothing. Nothing, let’s get to breakfast.”

They headed down to the dining room and took their places. Virgil’s mother commented on him being gone longer than normal but the family was used to him disappearing for moons at a time so no one made too big of a deal out of it.

Toby and Ember were talking about Ember’s crush and how she thought a Necklace was in her future. Nate and Jasper were discussing plans for the crops. Andy, as usual, was just sitting off to the side. Virgil bumped their shoulders together as he sat. “How are you doing?”

Andy just leaned his head on Virgil’s shoulder. “I should be asking you that.”

Virgil chuckled. “I’ll be fine. How have you been holding up?”

Andy closed his eyes, looking exhausted. Virgil knew his twin like his own mind and there was something they needed to talk about. “I’ve been taking it one day at a time, Virgie. Don’t worry about me.”

Virgil laughed. “It’s my job to worry about you, silly.” He squeezed his twin’s hand as they began the meal. “We’ll talk about that later, okay?”

After the meal, Andy said he was going to be in his room so Virgil went to the garden to try to sketch out the Necklace design. He picked up the slate and writing utensils, bemoaning the loss of paper and pencil. Just as he was getting somewhere with the drawing, a knock sounded at the arch.

He looked up, hair floating in the midmorning current. “Yes?”

One of the royal guards was there, looking slightly annoyed. “Someone found a royal-finned out by the edge of town. He says he wants to talk to you.”

Virgil nodded, putting his drawings and thoughts aside. “Send him in, won’t you?” He tried to put on the princely mask he’d always worn for affairs of state like this but he found that it was eerily similar to the polite mask he’d worn at the party. An event he would rather not think of at the moment.

He had no idea who he was expecting to see but it certainly wasn’t the very person, the very  _ human _ , he was trying to forget. Logan swam in, his hair a mess the current had used as a toy, his shirt rumpled and barely coming far enough down, and his legs in the form of an indigo tail that, despite Virgil’s best efforts, his brain categorized as complementary to his own and a color that looked very nice on the human prince. Logan smiled at him, his hand coming up for a tentative wave. It was the meekest Virgil had ever seen him and, despite all that had happened in the past day, it hurt.

Part of him was elated to see him again, to know that he was here with him instead of with the-. He couldn’t bear to finish that sentence. Instead, he waved the guard away and rose to stand. “What are you doing here? Better question, how did you get here?”

Logan didn’t respond, his eyes scanning Virgil. The mer crossed his arms, acutely aware of just how many bands he had and how few rings. When Logan’s eyes met his again, the human took a deep breath with a wince, clearly not used to breathing water.

“It started at the cliff. I talked with the . . . entity that you gave the stone to. They gave me a tail for three days and I set off to find you. So, I swam for what must have been three hours before time and exhaustion caught up with me and I fell asleep. I woke to a . . .” His voice trailed off as he searched for the right word before eventually just gesturing to Virgil’s tail.

“Mer. We’re called ‘mer’.” Virgil supplied in a tone that conveyed more anger than the hurt he truly felt at seeing Logan here.

“Right, a mer. She asked me which blessing I came from and where my contingent was, claiming she’d never seen me in town before. I have no idea what she meant by blessing so I just asked for you and they brought me here.”

Virgil held up a hand. “What name did you ask for specifically?”

“Virgil. I asked to see a Virgil. I described the purple tail and the side fins,” he gestured to the ones that lined his own sides, “and they brought me here.”

Virgil nodded. “And why are you here?”

Logan frowned, awkwardly moving forward until he was as close as Virgil normally allowed. “Why wouldn’t I be here?” His tone made him sound as if he had no idea what he’d done wrong.

Virgil scoffed, throwing his arms wide. “Maybe because you played with my feelings for a few moons before asking to kiss someone else?”

Logan huffed out a breath, turning to the side slightly before turning back. “How about the lying? How about the consorting with that entity, leading me on all summer, the fake amnesia? How much of that was the truth?” He paused, hurt in his eyes. “Do you even truly care for me?”

That made Virgil snap, his heart shattering. “Out of all the questions to ask!” He had to take a second to run a hand down his face, batting at his floating hair. “Do you even know what I’ve been through in the past day, let alone the past  _ four _ moons?” He paused for breath, sending a glare toward Logan when the human opened his mouth to speak. “I’ve been captured by pirates who wanted to sell me for profit, made a deal for my life with Remy, faked amnesia just to get that  _ trinket _ of a necklace, fallen in love with a human and I might as well have betrayed my entire blessing in the process!” Only at the end did Virgil realize he’d been raising his volume the whole time and was now shouting at someone he’d once thought he’d never hurt.

Logan opened his mouth to give a rebuttal but paused. “Fallen in love? How would you be betraying your entire blessing by doing so?” His voice was softer and at a lower volume.

Virgil shook his head, feeling the headache that comes with tears. His voice was shaky but he managed. “No. You don’t get to hear all of my secrets and pain while I know you’re in love with someone else.”

“But I’m not!” Logan ran a hand through his hair uselessly. “I thought he was you!” This was quiet, barely drifting to him.

It was Virgil’s turn to pause, hand reaching to rub his aching eyes. “What?”

“It’s a story that most people would question the sanity of but suffice it to say that the person you saw, or think you saw, was a shapeshifter using your likeness.”

The space was silent for a time before Virgil sniffled. “Does that mean . . .?”

Logan nodded, coming just shy of Virgil’s personal space. “I had wanted to ask if I could kiss you before I professed undying love.”

Virgil smiled, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. “Is it too late to accept the kiss?”

Logan shook his head as his hands came up to cradle Virgil’s cheeks. Virgil’s head dipped down and their lips connected. In that moment, Virgil could have sworn time had stopped. The kiss was sweet and short but it was also everything Virgil had dreamed it would be even before he’d known he wanted it.

“Now,” Logan said when they broke the kiss, “what was that about you betraying your blessing? And, what is a blessing?”

Virgil settled back down in his seat on the sea moss, turning the slate over and hiding the picture that now served a new purpose. “A blessing is a group of mer.” He waited as Logan settled by his side, tails intertwining. “The reason I might have betrayed my blessing by falling for you is that I was willing to give up my life here and live with you on the land. Typically, once a mer chooses to leave their blessing, they aren’t allowed back in.”

Logan took his hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of it. “I’m grateful that you are willing to do that.”

Virgil leaned into him, his free hand sliding through the water to hover over Logan’s cheek. The human leaned into his palm and Virgil could have melted. “May I kiss you?” Virgil’s voice was a whisper that was almost a purr.

Logan smiled and leaned in.


	20. A Peaceful Evening.

They sat in the garden for a little bit, allowing Logan to get used to being in the water and breathing it while they talked it over in greater detail, Virgil telling Logan what happened on the cliff that day four moons ago and Logan telling Virgil what happened in the maze that night. After about half an hour of silence in which Virgil had gone back to sketching, Logan sat beside him. “What are you working on?”

Virgil shook his head, smiling. “A secret.” He finished the portion he was working on and put the utensil down before he turned to Logan, hoping to distract him from the drawing. “Do you want an official tour of the palace?”

Logan smiled. “That’d be great.”

Virgil nodded and moved into the building, Logan close behind him. He showed him around the castle, telling him all about it and the people who lived in it. The day wore on as Virgil talked about the history of the blessing, his siblings and parents, the castle. He introduced Logan to any siblings he came across, wondering where Elliott had swam off to.

The day wore on as they went, eventually arriving at Virgil’s room. He moved over to the pen that took up the entirety of a wall. He’d trained the sea dragons to stay in the pen so had no fear of them wandering out, even then he didn’t mind them floating around the whole room and sleeping in the pen so had no reason to lock it. However, he did find the lock on it so he assumed Elliott had locked it when they came in to feed them while Virgil was gone. Logan noticed and swam over, staying a bit apart.

Virgil laughed and waved him over. “Have you seen one of these before?”

Logan shook his head. “They’re incredibly rare. Only one aquarium has any and they’ve struggled for years to get them to breed. Although, I have read about them as much as I can. It seems you have one of both known species.” He pointed at the lavender one with a multitude of tendrils. “What’s the leafy’s name?”

Virgil smiled. “Her name is [ Sera ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/c278ed52bad20e077849812d66aee9bc/5df70a2f6849d260-b0/s640x960/391e3b4b2651c118fa3e7d841c66b7bf9d956ecc.png).”

Logan nodded and moved his finger over to the other, a darker purple with greenish gold accents and few tendrils. “And the weedy’s?”

Virgil almost laughed at the fascination in Logan’s eyes. “His name is [ Tiko ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f9205a062d7441a19e978dcd2cfc7d76/5df70a2f6849d260-f9/s1280x1920/3c02060d516c562963184eb61062c3f680dc3074.png).”

Logan stared at the large pen, stars in his eyes. Virgil smiled and moved to sit on his bed, just watching Logan. The human moved around, seeming to be trying to see the sea dragons from every angle. Virgil just laughed and, when Logan looked over his shoulder at him, Virgil just pointed at his desk. “There are keys over there if you want to go in with them.”

Virgil hadn’t thought Logan’s face could get brighter but it seemed to as he shot over to the desk to grab the keys. He fumbled with the lock before slipping into the pen and sitting in the middle, watching as the two dragons swirled around him.

Virgil turned his head when a knock on the door sounded. Logan moved to stand but Virgil waved him back down, moving himself to open it. One of the chefs was kind enough to bring a meal up as they’d skipped lunch on the tour. The mer prince took the tray, thanking the chef, and moved to set it down on the desk. “I would let you eat in there but they’d try to take it thinking it was theirs.”

Logan nodded and moved to sit on the bed to eat with Virgil. He seemed surprised to see cooked fish. Virgil laughed. “We do know how to cook, you know.”

Logan nodded, those stars coming back into his eyes. “Is it possible to take a tour of the kitchens?”

Virgil smiled and nodded. “Tomorrow.”

They ate, talking about what happened during Virgil’s four moons on land, what a normal day below water is like, and anything in between they can think of. Virgil fed the sea dragons before pinning a blanket over the pen, letting them know it was time to sleep. He turned and grabbed a pair of shirts out of his closet, handing one to Logan. He quickly pulled his shirt off and put the new one back on with his back to Logan.

He turned around to find Logan just standing there, awkwardly holding the shirt. Virgil raised his eyebrows. “Are you not getting ready for bed?” He moved to the jewelry box and started taking off all his jewelry.

“Are you sure we’re allowed to sleep in the same room?” Logan sounded genuinely concerned so Virgil refrained from laughing.

“Why wouldn’t we be? What’s there to worry about?” Virgil moved to sit on the bed, still facing Logan.

Logan shrugged. “I guess most people on land would be concerned with an unmarried couple staying a night in the same room due to them trying to have intercourse.”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, we don’t usually worry about that. Most mer are, what’s the word? Asexual? We have no feelings to reproduce sexually.”

Logan nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one you’re looking for. Does that mean that you personally are asexual?”

“Yep.”

Logan then turned his back to Virgil and changed out of his now ruined dress shirt and into the one Virgil provided. He turned back around and moved to sit on the bed next to Virgil. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth.

Before he could say anything, Virgil held up a hand. “Logan, I know that look in your eyes. You’re about to say something and I want you to think about it first. If you’re not ready to tell me but think you have to just because I said something, you don’t have to.”

Logan nodded and took the hand Virgil was holding up. “I want to tell you. I trust you with this information. Besides, it’s not something I’ve ever felt the need to hide.”

“Okay. You have the floor.”

“I’m demiromantic.” Virgo’s brow furrowed and he was about to ask what that was when he remembered he said he’d let Logan talk. “That basically means that I need to form a close emotional bond before I have romantic feelings for someone.” He took another deep breath. “That being said, I’m in love with you.”

Virgil nodded, understanding that that was a big thing. Thinking about the Necklace design that was still laid out on the desk, he smiled. “It’d be pretty awkward if you weren’t. Because I'm in love with you too.”

Logan smiled and leaned toward him. “May I kiss you?”

Virgil nodded, closing the distance himself. The kiss was soft and gentle and it wasn’t long before they were pulling back to slip under the covers and fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. The last thing Virgil remembers from that moment is purring in contentment and happiness while drifting off to sleep, holding the love of his life close as their tails wrapped around each others.


	21. Three Days of Bliss

Virgil woke and lay on his bed, simply gazing at the window for a moment. A weight shifted beside him and he was reminded of the events of the previous day and how Logan came to be beside him. He turned, laying on his side with his tail still draped over Logan’s. Just taking in the moment, he allowed himself to stare at the gorgeous person asleep beside him.

Logan stirred, shifting closer to Virgil and the mer smiled, letting his hand rest on Logan’s head and just drifting it through his hair. Logan hummed and leaned into the touch. Virgil smiled, chuckling softly as he marveled at his good fortune to be able to be there with him in that moment.

Logan shifted again, his eyes sliding open. “Hmm?”

Virgil’s smile widened, leaning over to kiss his forehead, an idea forming in his mind. “Do you wanna go stargazing with me?”

Logan smiled. “That sounds nice.”

Virgil led the way to his favorite spot to stargaze and turned onto his back, floating next to Logan. Logan moved to float like Virgil did, their tails intertwining like seahorses’ did. Virgil smiled at Logan before pointing at a star. “Look at that one.”

Logan let out a small gasp upon seeing the night sky. Virgil smiled, knowing the difference between seeing the stars from the cliff and from the middle of the ocean, no lights around. Logan’s hand reached out to grip tightly at Virgil’s. “There’s so many of them.”

Virgil laughed. “Have you never seen the night sky like this?”

“No, I’ve never actually been able to spend time far enough outside the city limits to see the sky this clearly.”

Virgil felt a warmth in his heart at being able to share such a unique experience with him. They stayed like that for a few hours, floating side by side as they pointed out star after star, both giving their culture’s name for it and what constellations it belonged to.

Virgil was drifting off, Logan’s head bumping into his shoulder, when he heard it. The sound of something large coming toward them. He lifted his head and searched their surroundings for the approaching object. His eyes locked onto a ship and he shook Logan awake. “Dive, dive, dive!”

He dove, going deep and fast. Logan trailed behind, struggling to stay close on his tail. They ducked into a sunken ship, catching their breaths side by side. Virgil grinned at the adrenaline rush that created but noticed Logan had a look of borderline terror on his face, eyes blown wide.

“Are you alright?” Virgil put a hand on Logan’s shoulder.

Logan nodded, his breathing calming down a bit. “That was just frightening. I’ll be fine.”

Virgil nodded, moving away. Seeing a tendril of current curl around his wrist, he smiled and thought of a way to distract Logan. “Do you wanna know how to control water?”

Logan smiled but exhaustion tinged the edges of it. “That sounds amazing but we’ll have plenty of time for that in the morning. For now, I think we should get back to bed.”

Virgil nodded, kissing his temple and taking his hand. “Okay, that’s a good idea.”

They swam back to the castle and slipped into Virgil’s room. Sera and Tiko were still sleeping, curled around each other in their pen. The pair slipped into bed and curled around each other similar to the sea dragons a few feet away.

The next morning, the royals went down for breakfast. Virgil’s parents did a double take when they saw Logan but settled when he sat beside Virgil. Nate came in and sat on the other side of Logan, drawing him into a conversation that was clearly not meant for Virgil’s ears.

He didn't have much time to think about it as Ember sat beside him. “So, what shells do you think would be best?”

Virgil was used to conversations with Ember feeling like they’d started two hours before. He thought back to the last time he’d seen her. “Oh, for the Necklace? So you’re actually gonna ask her?”

Ember nodded. “I’m more than just thinking about it. I wanna do it. I’m ready for this next step in our relationship. I’m excited.”

Virgil smiled, thinking about the Necklace he still needed to finish soon and knowing he was ready for that step as well. He leaned over to her and they both planned out their Necklaces, taking and giving advice, brainstorming their ideas and seeing how well they’d work. Jasper came over and dropped mer two pearls into the conversation, giving little bits of advice that both siblings took to heart. Virgil watched mer squeeze Logan’s shoulder as mer swam past.

The meal passed without much incident. Virgil took Logan back to the sunken ship, thinking it best to practice magic there rather than in the courtyard. Logan moved until he was leaning against the wall of the ship cabin, as close to the floor as he could get while Virgil went and floated in the middle of the cabin.

“So, magic.” Virgil said, the current swirling around him like a living being. “Mer magic operates on a favor based system. This means that we do something nice for the water, and the water will do something we ask of it. It’s kind of like a money system in that you pay one thing and get something in return.”

Logan nodded, “So, what would be an example of a favor for the water?”

“That can be anything from picking trash out of the water to taking care of a sick animal to even just planting a bit of seaweed or something similar.”

“Okay, so keeping Sera and Tiko. Would that be considered a favor for the water?”

“Essentially, yes. I don’t really view it as that as I see them more as friends and pets than as a ‘favor farm’ but I could use their care to cash in a favor if in a pinch.” Virgil spent some more time explaining the intricacies of the system and how to exchange the favors for magic.

Then, it was time to put them into use. Virgil figured that feeding the sea dragons the night before counted as a favor to the water so taught Logan how to call to the water and watched with pride in his eyes as Logan created an air bubble around his head by asking the water to move out of the way.

Logan laughed as he breathed a breath of fresh air while still being completely submerged in water. Tugging on his hand, he pulled Virgil into the bubble with him. The mer laughed before explaining that even though Logan made this bubble for fun, it was a common tactic for mer who didn’t want to be overheard. Logan just laughed harder and kissed him.

The rest of the day was spent with them both playing in the ship and Logan watching Virgil do tricks with the water. That night and the next morning progressed similar to that one had. It being the last day Logan was underwater, Virgil took him to the mall and they wandered the different shops from mid morning to the afternoon. For the next few hours, Logan was taken on a tour of the kitchens and told how everything worked while Virgil finished the Necklace he’d been able to sneak in time to make and had that chat with Andy he’d been meaning to. That evening, as the sun started to slip below the horizon, the pair set off to return to dry land.


	22. An Unexpected Houseguest

They set out right after dinner, taking their time to get back to land. Virgil knew the route by heart so he let them wander the town for a bit, showing Logan all the different shops and buildings that were there. Logan seemed to forget what polite talk was in his excitement as he asked every question that came to mind. Virgil answered all that he could, grinning all the while at Logan’s enthusiasm and curiosity. It reminded Virgil why he fell in love with this human in the first place.

Curling his tail in a corkscrew, Virgil twirled in happiness. Logan laughed as they left the edge of the town and entered open waters. Virgil shot forward in a silent dare for Logan to race him. The human caught on quickly and started to gain on him. The mer went easy on him and swam slower than he could. When Logan caught up to him, he slammed into Virgil unexpectedly and sent the pair tumbling through the water, both giggling like mad.

Their entire journey to land didn’t last much longer than five hours. Five hours of giggling and talking, of bumping into each other and admiring the scenery. Virgil went more in depth about his deal with Remy and his experiences of living on land, mainly discussing the biological aspect of it. Logan listened with rapt attention, soaking in every detail.

They got back to shore just as Logan’s tail changed back to legs. Virgil changed to legs as well before they both walked up the beach. Logan gave a shout and ran forward, skidding to a halt by a wire net thrown over a pile of clothes.

“What’s there?” Virgil asked as he took his time to catch up.

“Some clothes for us. They seem to be in our sizes too.” Logan tossed him a set of clothing before turning his back and changing; Virgil did the same.

Once that was done, they went up to the cliff to find that the note was gone, along with Logan’s jacket. So, they went back to the castle. Along the way, they talked. They talked about anything and everything they could think of, moving from one topic to another with ease. Their talking and walking took another half hour to get to the castle, meaning it was almost one in the morning when they arrived.

They made it to Virgil’s room before the mer took notice of the exhaustion on Logan’s face and invited him to spend what was left of the night in the same bed. His argument was that it was easier and Logan didn’t have to walk as far but the reality was that he just wanted to cuddle. Logan relented and Virgil got to snuggle up to him as they drifted off together, each having a leg draped over the other.

✴ ✴ ✴

Logan woke first, the sun streaming in through the window highlighting just how purple Virgil’s hair was as the mer curled into Logan’s side. He took the time to admire the silent beauty that overtook the usually energetic face before him, brushing a strand of hair off Virgil’s forehead. He attempted to slip away, wanting to grab a change of clothes from his room and perhaps get in a quick shower before waking Virgil for breakfast, but he was stuck fast in his arms.

He gently leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Virgil’s forehead, rousing the mer. “Virgil, my love, it’s time to wake up.”

Virgil whined, his head finding the crook of Logan’s neck. “Not just yet, pebble.” His voice was still rough with sleep and Logan hoped to be able to wake up to that every day for the rest of his life.

Logan rubbed his back, the other hand carding through his hair. “We need to get up soon.”

“Why?” He drew out the last letter until it was a groan.

Logan chuckled. “Because we need to tell Thomas and my father where we were. We also should deal with the shapeshifter.”

Virgil groaned but rolled out of Logan’s arms and promptly fell onto the floor. “Fine.”

Logan couldn’t help but laugh as he slipped out of bed and made his way to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I’ve changed and bathed. I suggest you do the same.”

He made the quick trip down the hall to his room but just as he reached his door, his double came out of it. This was the same man who impersonated Virgil and caused that big fight of theirs in the first place, he was sure of it. Before he had time to say anything, Thomas rounded the corner.

The crown prince paused and stared at the two people who both had the face of his younger brother and sighed. “This isn’t even the weirdest thing to happen this week, is it?” He sounded defeated and as if he could use a nap.

Logan thought back to the events of the party four days ago and shook his head. “Not even close.”

Thomas nodded, squeezing his eyes shut briefly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t suppose you’ll just tell me who’s the real one, will you?”

The impostor smirked and shook his head. “Where’s the fun in that?” He sounded like he was genuinely amused by the situation. 

Thomas nodded, rifling through the papers in his arms. “Alright, I guess we’re gonna do this the old fashioned way.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket and called up their head guard. “I’m gonna need at least three guys in the private wing, please.”

Logan nodded. “Seems reasonable. So, how’ve you decided to do this?”

“I’ll wait until the guards get here before answering that.”

“Okay, am I allowed to talk to Patton in the meantime? I need him to do something for me.”

Thomas shook his head, a sad look in his eyes. “Sorry, Logan or not Logan, Patton’s been missing for almost two days.”

“Oh.” He’d been hoping to have him help with preparing a meal for the special occasion but those plans took a backseat to his best friend being missing. 

The other Logan also looked sad. “Yeah, we’ve been looking as hard as we can but he seems to have disappeared.”

The guards arrived soon after so Logan wasn’t able to retaliate properly. Thomas noticed the guards’ presence and straightened his back. “Okay, I’ve only really got one question for you two. Whoever answers it wrong gets thrown in the dungeon. That simple.”

The two both looked at each other, Logan wondering how his brother could possibly tell them apart with just the one question.

“The question is simple: Who was our sixth grade science teacher?”

Logan looked to the other Logan, who was deep in thought. Meanwhile, the middle prince knew exactly who it was. They’d been homeschooled their whole lives, taught either through books or tutors. That year of science had been books so they’d gathered around the life sized skeleton in the corner and called it their teacher. “Mr. Bones!” He said, an almost smug smile on his face.

Thomas nodded and pointed at the shapeshifter. “Guards, take this impostor to the dungeon, please.”

Logan moved to give Thomas a half hug before heading off to take a shower. He didn’t get much farther than his door before the entity from the cliff appeared from Virgil’s room. They strode up to the guards and paused to take a sip from their drink. “I’ll take care of him.”

Thomas looked at him, brow furrowed. “And who are you?”

The entity, Remy, tilted their sunglasses down to see the crown prince over them. “I’m his half-sibling and am currently his legal guardian.”

“Go away, Remy. I had this!” The shapeshifter hissed.

Remy chuckled, walking over to grab him by the collar. “Shut up and let me handle this, Janus.”

Thomas looked to Logan. “Do you know who this person is?”

Virgil walked out of his room before Logan could answer, towel drying his hair. “Remy, what are you doing here? I thought the deal was up?” He still sounded tired.

Remy wheeled around, still holding Janus’ collar. “Yeah, it is. I’m just here to collect someone that shouldn’t be here and I’ll be gone in a bit, babes.”

Logan scowled at the nickname but held his hand out for Virgil to hold. The mer came and stood by his side, slipping an arm around his waist. “Okay, just get out soon.”

“I ask again,” Thomas brought their attention back to himself, “Do you know who this person is?”

Virgil nodded. “They’re some demon I made a deal with to sell my soul for legs, no big deal.”

Logan pinched his shoulder. “That’s not what happened and you know it.”

“Then how would you tell it?”

“Remy is a person of unknown origin that you traded a promise with for legs to get out of a sticky situation.” Logan turned his head to look at Thomas. “As far as I’m aware, Remy is harmless. I can’t vouch for Janus but I have an uneasy trust with Remy.”

Thomas nodded. “Guards, escort the pair of siblings to the front gates.” He turned back to Logan and Virgil. “Why don’t you two come down for breakfast and we can discuss where you’ve been for the past three days?”

“Let me get a shower first, I’ll join you soon.” Logan said as he detached himself from Virgil. He heard the footsteps fade as they went down the stairs and he closed the door to his room behind him.


	23. The Necklace

That afternoon, they were curled up against each other on the lawn, appreciating the sun and books as Logan read aloud to Virgil. Logan was sitting between Virgil’s legs, his back pressed to the mer’s chest as Virgil curled his arms around him and laid his head on the top of Logan’s. Virgil was stretching in the sun, half asleep as Logan’s voice lulled him into a sense of security. He must have been told the title of the book* when they’d sat down to read it, but that had been so long ago he couldn’t remember it.

Logan’s voice was smooth and even as he read, “Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.”

Virgil smiled and hummed, moving to rest his forehead on Logan’s shoulder. “That sounds nice. Would you ever consider trying it?”

Logan stopped reading, turning his head to look at the mer. “Trying what? Growing old?”

“ _ Together _ . Growing old together.”

Logan hummed. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Virgil perked up, moving to stand. “Come on, come with me.” He pulled Logan to his feet and, hand still clasped in his own, he brought him to his room. He released Logan’s hand and dug through his drawers, coming back with the  [ Necklace ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9b/1f/8c/9b1f8c9cf8980499adbe8457f8e4151d.jpg) : a work of shells, glass beads, and sea glass that he’d spent hours planning and making.

He took a deep breath before speaking. “This is a symbol in my culture. It’s a symbol of the joining of two people, and it’s taken with absolute seriousness. I give it to you in love, and with the intention that you taking it means that you’d be willing to spend your entire life with me as my husband.”

Logan reached forward and gently took the hand that wasn’t holding the Necklace. “I’d be honored to marry you.”

Virgil smiled, lifting the Necklace to put it around Logan’s neck. “It’s just fishing wire right now but you can swap that out for leather or whatever most humans use for necklaces.”

Logan touched the charm that was, by Virgil’s design, right above his heart. “Tell me more about the symbolism?”

“The Necklace goes over the heart, a symbol of how dear the person is to you. In my culture, jewelry is used to show relationships. Typically, the relationship of someone would be set by how far up your arm you put a piece of jewelry they gave you. So, a ring from a best friend would be put on the thumb while a ring from an acquaintance would be on the pinky. A sibling would have a bracelet while a favored sibling would have an armband. Parental bonds are shown by armbands that go almost at the shoulder. Serious romantic relationships get the Engagement Necklace. Occasionally, married couples will have circlets, showing that in addition to always being in each other’s hearts, they are also on each other’s minds at all times.”

Logan smiled, that small secret smile that Virgil wasn’t even sure he was doing consciously. “That’s very sweet, my north star.”

Virgil couldn’t help the smile that crossed his own face at that. “Thank you, pebble.”

“I’ve heard you call me that once before. What does it mean?”

The mer shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. “It’s just a little nickname. A pebble is something that not many would find valuable, but to the right person it’s a work of beauty.”

Logan leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. “I love it.” He took his hand. “Come with me to my room? I’ve got something to show you too.”

They made the small trip to Logan’s room. Virgil noticed the way the sun shone through the window, highlighting Logan’s dark hair and making it look like he had a shining crown. Logan sat him on the bed before moving into his closet. Virgil heard some rustling of fabric, drawers opening and closing, before Logan came back out carrying a box that was longer than it was tall.

He knelt in front of Virgil before opening the box, showing off a folding knife. The blade was a blue and purple with a wave pattern, the handle an almost copper looking metal with a purple flower that extended toward the blade. Virgil tentatively reached out to touch it, running his finger over the flower. “Logan, what’s this?”

“It’s an [ Engagement Knife ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/821cc2576d4080971e95fddd49451595/5da9cd4b0123fd1f-eb/s400x600/e14ed9f92e8a1a48bcf9cb1cf101829082095d99.png) . Your tradition is a Necklace, mine’s a Knife.” Logan picked up the Knife, holding it out so the handle was pointing at Virgil and the point of the blade was directed at his own heart. “This motion really is just a formality but I figured why not do it the traditional way.”

Virgil leaned back just a bit, his hands in his lap. “I’d like it if you explained what was going on right now.”

“It’s the traditional way of offering the Knife. The blade is pointed at my heart as a symbol that I trust you not to hurt me. I freely offer my heart to you, both my emotional one and my physical one. If you choose to reject me, it’s very easy for you to drive the blade into my chest and kill me.” He folded the blade but still offered the handle to Virgil. “Again, that’s just a formal position to be in.”

Virgil carefully took the handle of the Knife as Logan moved to sit beside him on the bed. “Thank you, pebble. I accept your proposal wholeheartedly.”

Logan smiled and kissed him on the temple. “The blade is actually sharp, by the way. I thought it’d be nice to teach you how to use it so you’ll never be in another situation like being trapped on that pirate ship again.”

Virgil leaned into him and hummed. “That sounds nice. Thank you.”

Logan’s arm came around Virgil’s waist and the two stayed like that, leaning on each other, as they discussed wedding plans and traditions. Soon enough, Roman came in and demanded attention in the way only a ten year old can. So, the couple took the young prince back outside to let out some energy. This time, Virgil made sure to steer Roman away from the lake as they ran around. The afternoon culminated in all three taking a nap under a large tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The quote used here is from Rabbi Ben Ezra, written by Robert Browning.


	24. Epilogue

A few months after their engagement, the wedding day arrived. They’d decided to combine the mer wedding ceremony and Logan’s pre-wedding traditions into a multi-cultural event. Logan threw himself into his work, desperate to have Patton home before his wedding. Virgil did his best to arrange the wedding with Orville and Dorothy’s help. He’d had to pull Logan away from his desk most nights as he tried to go through a paper trail. As it was, Thomas had to almost physically restrain him from going after Patton.

Soon enough, the day came when Patton was home and the wedding was scheduled. They’d explained their customs ahead of time so when Virgil was woken by a knock on his door in the early hours of his wedding day, he wasn’t startled. Excitedly, he jumped from his bed and opened the door to find Thomas, Orville, and Patton standing outside it.

“Is it time?” Virgil bounced on his toes just the slightest bit, wide awake despite the sun barely touching the horizon.

Thomas chuckled. “It is. Go ahead and grab what you need before we whisk you away.”

“I’d recommend grabbing a book or two,” Orville said, “we’re expecting to be there for at least the majority of the day.”

Virgil nodded and pointed at the bench at the foot of the bed, a small pile of essentials already set atop the first volume of the continent’s history. “I’ve finished the history of just Treyal and moved on to all of Lgona. Any suggestions as to what else I should bring?”

Patton stepped into the room, his new coat fluttering around him, and went to search through Virgil’s dresser. “Do you have anything distinctly mer?”

Virgil walked into his closet to change into some comfortable travel clothes. “I’ve got my jewelry, a staple of mer culture.” He walked back out and started to pick up the things on the bench to place them in a bag. “Will that work?”

Patton nodded. “Come over here and pick out one that you think Logan would recognize. It needs to be at decent difficulty as this is supposed to be a challenge.” Virgil came over and easily picked out the armband that Elliott had given him, the one that usually sat just above his elbow.

As soon as that was picked out and any other jewelry Virgil thought he’d need was put into the bag, the group made their way down the stairs. Looking back, Virgil could already see his ‘ransom note’ taped to Logan’s door for him to find when he woke up.

✴ ✴ ✴

An hour later, Logan buckled his sword belt on as he walked down the stairs, his boots thudding against the wood. Roman was standing at the bottom of the stairs, bouncing on his toes as he tried to block as much of the space as possible. Logan chuckled and paused in front of him. “What’s the meaning of this interruption?” The question was stern but his voice was soft and laced with laughter.

Roman grinned. “I’m a distraction!”

Logan nodded and stepped past him, gently placing a hand on his head as he did. You’re a very good distraction, nephew of mine.”

He made his way out the front door, a giggling Roman on his heels, and reread the note he’d found on his door as he sat on his motorcycle. “Your first challenge is where you first met.” He read aloud before turning to Roman. “Alright, do you have a place you’re supposed to be?”

Roman screwed his mouth to the side. “Yeah, I do.”

Logan smoothed out his hair before patting him on the head. “Off you go then, ring bearer.”

Roman scampered off and Logan put on his helmet before starting the motorcycle, revving the engine, and driving off. It didn’t take him long to reach the cliff.

There, Patton was waiting for him. He smiled from his position behind a folding table. “Hey there! Care to test your luck?”

Logan walked over, pushing his visor up. “Is this the first test?”

“Yep!” Patton gestured to the items on his table. “Which is Virgil’s, what does it mean to him, and how did he get it?”

Logan looked at the table and found a few different bracelets and armbands but one stood out to him. He picked it up gently. “This is Virgil’s armband. It signifies his relationship with his sibling Elliott and they gave it to him as a gift.”

Patton nodded. “You must really listen to him when he talks.”

“Of course, how could I not?” Logan smiled as he put the armband in his bag. “He never ceases to amaze me with his words. I never know what he’s going to talk about next.”

“Alright, you big sap! Get out of here!” Patton handed off a slip of paper that contained the next location and Logan didn’t wait for him to pack up before he was turning around and reading it.

“The candy store.”

He was back on the road and on his way to the town before Patton even had the chance to wave at him. He arrived at the candy store and spent a second looking for someone he recognized when Orville appeared beside him.

“Your next task is to pick out a candy for him.”

Logan frowned. “Are you sure we’re playing by the traditional rules? My next task should be solving a riddle that leads to my next location.”

Orville laughed and shrugged. “Yeah, but he asked if we could bring him some sweets. We’re already here and you know him best.”

Logan nodded and turned to walk down the aisle. Tucked in the corner, he found a box of all kinds of chocolates shaped like seashells. Remembering Virgil had once mentioned he thought better with chocolate, he went ahead and paid for it. Returning to Orville, he showed him the chocolates and got a paper in the shape of a star for his troubles.

He laughed. “Were you bored again?”

Orville just shrugged. “Get out of here!”

Logan nodded, putting the chocolates in a temperature controlled side pocket. He sat on his motorcycle as he carefully unwrapped the intricately folded star and read the riddle:

_ “Where shining scales lay between gilded pages _

_ And countless hours were spent _

_ There you shall find your next testament _

_ To the fire that burns within your heart for him.” _

He smiled and set off back toward the castle. He put the bike away and made his way down the halls to the library. Pushing the door open, he took a second to soak up the smell of books and sunlight, the feel of the warmth on his face.

When he opened his eyes, he strode over to the bookshelves in the back, where the history books were kept. He scanned the shelves, looking for the next book Virgil would be reading, as he usually put his favorite bookmark in it beforehand if he couldn’t get to it right away, only to find it missing. The tapping of shoes on wood sounded behind him and he spun around, hand going to his sword.

Thomas approached, his hand poised to draw his sword. “How much do you love Virgil, Logan?”

Logan smiled but didn’t relax. “With my whole heart. He’s my whole world and more.”

“Then fight for him!” Thomas unsheathed his sword and rushed Logan, barely giving him time to draw his own sword.

The clang from the impact rang out as Logan was pushed back into the shelves. He threw Thomas off and started on the offensive, slashing and thrusting at him as if this were a real battle to the death rather than a traditional duel with dull blades. Thomas backed out the doorway and into the hall, giving them both more room to move around.

They spun around, Thomas now forcing Logan to walk backwards down the hallway as he defended himself from his older brother. If he hadn’t been running through these corridors since he could toddle after the other two, he might have tripped over the statue that stood against the wall. As it was, he used it to spin his back around and push Thomas down to the floor.

Thomas rolled and came up just in time to defend from Logan’s downward swing. He pushed back up but stayed on the defensive for a bit as Logan forced them both down the hall. The dance went on for the length of the hall until Logan had Thomas’ back pressed to the wall, Logan’s sword at his throat and Thomas’ on the ground.

“Do you yield?” Logan asked.

Thomas smiled. “I do.”

Logan pulled his sword away from the others throat, putting the blade back into its sheath. “Have I passed the test?”

Thomas’ smile widened as he clapped him on the shoulder. “You have and I couldn't be prouder. Happy Day, Brother.”

Loan grinned back at him. “Thank you. Now, where have you hidden my groom?”

Thomas laughed. “This way.”

They walked down the hall in companionable silence. Logan just now noticed how late it was, being midafternoon already. He picked up a small cluster of grapes from a side table as he passed, sharing them with Thomas. The crown prince had most likely been waiting with Virgil the whole day to keep him company and make sure he wasn’t too bored.

They reached a door and Thomas gestured for Logan to go first, letting the couple have a moment of privacy. The younger prince thanked the elder, briefly clasping his shoulder on his way in.

Logan pushed the door open to find Virgil, his nose buried in a book as it usually was. He chuckled and approached his fiancé, dipping down onto one knee to be level with Virgil in his chair.

“Hey,” He said, his voice soft.

Virgil looked up, almost dropping the large tome he’d balanced on his lap like it was a small paperback, and smiled as his face brightened. “Hi.”

Logan leaned into his personal space just a bit. “Still willing to put up with this family?”

Virgil nodded, his smile widening into a grin. “Of course! They’ve been nothing but kind this whole time and I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”

Logan stood and held a hand out to him. “Well then, shall we go do just that?”

Virgil took the hand and allowed Logan to pull him to his feet and into his arms. They stayed in the hug for a moment, both reluctant to pull back. Eventually, they did pull away and moved to join Thomas outside, still holding hands.

Thomas smiled at them before leading the way down the hall. “Happy Day to you both.”

Virgil looked at Logan in confusion. “People have been saying that to me all day. What does it mean?”

“It’s something people say to engaged couples on the day of the wedding. It both acknowledges that it is a happy day for the couple while also giving them a little wish that it stays that way.”

Virgil nodded and hummed, leaning his head into Logan’s briefly. “We have a similar saying in my culture. We say ‘Many Wishes’ as a way of blessing the day.”

Thomas smiled at the pair as they arrived at the changing room. “Alright you two, go get ready for your big day.”

They both went into the room, which had been divided in half for the illusion of privacy. Little signs that hung on the screen divider directed Logan to the right and Virgil to the left. When they came back out, Logan couldn’t help but stare at Virgil. His hair was like it had been at the party, swept off to the side and as neat as it would get, and he was wearing a pure white shirt and pants with a softly purple jacket.

Logan’s own outfit was similar, a white shirt and pants with a light blue jacket and a tie that matched Virgil’s jacket. His hair was swept back and his crown was firmly in place.

Logan smiled as they rejoined Thomas and continued walking. “Many Wishes, my north star.”

“Happy Day, pebble.”

Thomas laughed as they reached the wedding hall. “Many Wishes to the cutest royal couple around.”

Logan’s head spun to face him and his lips tilted up mischievously. “I’m telling Orville you said that!”

Thomas’ eyes widened. “Wait, no!”

“Too late! No take backs!” Logan tugged on Virgil’s hand and the pair entered the hall.

The guests were all seated and ready as it was mer tradition for the couple to come down the aisle together. Thomas slipped in around them, taking the time to stick his tongue out at Logan, before he crouch-ran to the front to sit with the rest of the royal family. The traditional wedding march began to play as the royal couple started down the aisle.

Remy winked at them from the crowd, a cowed Janus by their side. Logan turned his head away and back to Virgil’s father. The entire royal mer family had been given legs and the ability to use them for the duration of three days, today being the second, courtesy of Remy apologizing for Janus’ actions. So, the mer king had agreed to officiate the wedding.

Virgil and Logan reached the front and the pianist stopped, moving back to her seat in the crowd. Virgil’s father, King Murphy, raised his hands to quiet any lingering chatter. “We’ve gathered today to celebrate the shining light within these two wonderful souls. My son,” he placed a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, “and the man he trusts with his life,” his other hand was placed on Logan’s shoulder. “Now, do you have vows prepared?”

Virgil nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper, smiling at Logan in a way that was just for him. “Logan, you have become my lover, companion, and best friend. I wouldn’t choose to spend forever with anyone else. Your love gives me hope, your smile gives me joy, you make me a better man. I promise to stay by your side, that you will never have to face the world alone as we walk together through life. I will love you with every second that slips through our hands like sand.”

Logan smiled, his eyes shining with tears. “Virgil, you are the strength I didn’t know I was missing. I promise to love you past the day the world crumbles. I promise to share my whole heart and mind with you and to show you every day how deeply I care about you. I will love you loyally and fiercely, never to make you worry. I promise to be there to catch you when you fall, carry you over every threshold, and fall in love with you all over again every time the sun rises.”

King Murphy made a subtle gesture and the musician started up again, this time having Roman come down the aisle with the rings on a pillow. His face was one of concentration, the boy desperate not to drop the jewelry. They were relatively simple  [ bands ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FYy1wLvnrRZdDCfBQMQzXEr9au_F4lhZxoE2-lEyeHmiYVjnDZDWcezY_fUmKGyWgReaCWJAXBIxOuHWfXD5hHqflDWpX7amiMn2tiThJ6za5MdSVcxE) , made of silver with a simplistically curling wave carved into them. In the center of the outside, a small starburst was carved into it.

They all thanked Roman as he successfully brought the rings up. Logan and Virgil both took the rings, knowing by size which to give to the other. Logan slid Virgil’s ring onto him, knowing the words that were carved into the inside of the band read ‘Jewel of the sea’ as he said, “With this ring, I thee wed.”

Virgil carefully guided the other ring to rest at the base of Logan’s finger, the inside reading ‘Jewel of my heart’ and repeated the words back, “With this ring, I thee wed.”

Turning, King Murphy picked up a long strand of seaweed. “This is a symbol of the strength of a marriage. In my culture, it is tied around the tails of the engaged to be married couple. However,” he chuckled good naturedly, “that’s not as easy to do here. So, it’ll be used to join their wrists.”

Gently, Virgil’s left wrist and Logan’s right one were laid on top of the seaweed, the plant carefully tied over them. “The longer this stays tied,” King Murphy continued, “The happier the marriage is said to be.” He lifted the joined hands so the entire crowd could see them. “I now pronounce you man and mer. You may kiss the groom.”

Logan’s left hand came up to cradle Virgil’s face as he placed a gentle kiss on Virgil’s lips. When they pulled away, he smiled. “Hello, Husband.”

Virgil giggled, light and airy and so inherently him it made joy bubble in Logan’s chest. “Hello, Husband.”

Five minutes later, they were greeting guests, still joined at the wrist. It was awkward but they did manage to cut the cake and eat something without damaging the seaweed. They mingled with the guests and even danced together, getting in a lovely slow dance as the sun set. By the time the stars were showing on the horizon, Virgil was drooping against Logan. His head was bumping against Logan’s, his hair tickling the back of Logan’s neck and he was, accidentally or not, nudging the crown off his head.

Logan laughed. “Alright, darling, we’ll leave.”

Virgil took a sharp intake of breath. “What? I’m awake.”

Logan couldn’t help but smile fondly at his very tired husband. “Just let me say goodbye to a few more guests and we can go, alright?”

Virgil nodded. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”

The last guest they moved to say their farewells to was Remy, who smiled and tilted their sunglasses down. “It was a pleasure to attend. I’m surprised I was even invited.”

“We thought it was only fair to give you an invite as, without you, I don’t think we ever would have had the chance to fall in love.” Virgil replied.

“Well, in that case, thank you again. Now, I do have an actual gift for you two.”

Virgil smiled. “Gifts aren’t required.”

Logan laughed. “I’d like to say you’ve done enough but I admit I’m curious as to where this is going.”

Remy nodded. “Understandable, babes. Don’t worry, this one will be harmless.” He waved a hand and the amulet around his neck glowed again as Logan felt the pollen-like magic settle over him again. “Now, you both have the ability to switch between tail and legs at will. That way, you don’t have to ask me over every time you wanna see the in-laws.”

Logan smiled. “Thank you, Remy.”

The pair made their way over to where Orville and Patton had already set up a car, their bags in the back. It was a bit of a dance to get them both in there but it worked and soon Virgil was curled against Logan’s side as the car drove off into the night, headed for their honeymoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the last chapter but this is not the end of the story! I have a few deleted scenes that will be posted in another instalment of the series next week along with the preview/working summary of the second book Love On Open Waters.  
> My tumblr is ace-in-a-shopping-cart and I'm always willing to answer questions over there!


	25. Love on Open Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this the trailer for the second book.

Patton was in charge of the household. He kept it running smoothly, never a speck out of place. When he gets captured by pirates as ransom for someone he was incapable of protecting, his life takes a drastic turn.

Remus was a cold-eyed pirate captain who would do anything to protect his crew and make money. So, when a mer escapes from under his nose, he gives chase. He captures someone high up in the family the mer takes haven with and holds this person for ransom, desperate to get his cargo back.

Soon, the pair are striking up a bond. When a rival pirate captain sets his eyes on someone Remus had already claimed as his, things threaten to turn ugly. Will the unlikely pair be able to outrun this villain, will they deepen the strange bond that is blooming between them, or will they succumb to the pressure and break?


End file.
